What is the resolution of laser confocal microscope
True color confocal microscope and laser scanning confocal microscope are basically the same in imaging principle, the biggest difference is that the illumination source is different.
1. Laser scanning confocal microscope The illumination source of laser scanning confocal microscope is laser, that is, monochromatic light. The actual imaging process is based on the intensity of the reflected light of the monochromatic laser from the observed object. Since it is monochromatic Chromatic light illumination, can not distinguish the color, for the same sample in the same field of view, the color is different, but the different tissues or components with the same light intensity reflected by the monochromatic laser cannot be distinguished. It is easy to produce the same phase and different colors, the same color and different phases This phenomenon is not conducive to the correct identification of microstructure and composition.
2. The light source of the true color confocal microscope is a xenon light source, that is, white light. The actual imaging process is to comprehensively image the shape (including color) of the object under the condition of white light illumination. Because it is polychromatic light Illumination and imaging, the true color confocal microscope can more truly reflect the color and shape of the object, avoiding the phenomenon of the same phase and different colors and the same color and different phases produced by the laser scanning confocal microscope, the observer can distinguish and judge through the color Composition and organization of the sample.
In this respect, its resolution is much stronger than the comprehensive analysis of the laser scanning confocal microscope: under the observation conditions of samples with color differences, the true color confocal microscope avoids the same phase and different colors produced by the laser scanning confocal microscope. The phenomenon of phase occurs, and the observer can distinguish and judge the composition and organization of the sample through the color.
Under this condition, the resolution of the true color confocal microscope is higher than that of the laser scanning confocal microscope. Under the observation conditions of monochrome samples, the resolution is close to the respective technical indicators. However, in the actual observed samples , the vast majority of different tissues and components have color differences. Corresponding to samples with no or small color differences, artificial staining (such as corrosion treatment) can be used to improve the resolution of the image. In this respect , the laser scanning confocal microscope is powerless.
In addition, resolution is a technical index that can be achieved under specific conditions. When the technical condition is not met in actual use (in fact, it is often not satisfied), the resolution cannot reach the given value. .The picture below is the image of nickel-chromium alloy in ordinary monochromatic laser confocal microscope, and the comparison of the image formed by using real color confocal microscope. The red circle is doped with different compounds, which can be clearly seen The image formed by the laser confocal microscope cannot accurately reflect the difference between the doping of the compound in the gray scale alone, but the true color confocal can clearly distinguish their difference.
