Microscope, especially laser scanning microscope

Abstract

A microscope, especially a laser scanning microscope, with illumination over one wavelength and/or a plurality of wavelengths, wherein a controlling of the intensity of at least one wavelength is carried out by at least one rotatable interference filter which is arranged in the illumination beam path, wherein the at least one wavelength is at least partially reflected out of the illumination beam path and a plurality of filters for different wavelengths can be arranged one behind the other in the illumination beam path.

1 - 4  (Cancelled).  
     
     
         5 . A laser scanning microscope, comprising: 
 means for providing illumination containing a plurality of wavelengths; and    means for controlling the intensity of said plurality of wavelengths being carried out by a plurality of rotatable interference filters that are arranged in an illumination beam path, at least one of said plurality of wavelengths being at least partially reflected out of the illumination beam path and each of plurality of rotatable interference filters being capable of controlling a corresponding wavelength of said plurality of wavelengths independent of other wavelengths of said plurality of wavelengths.    
     
     
         6 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of filters for said plurality of wavelengths are arranged one behind the other in the illumination beam path.  
     
     
         7 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of said plurality of rotatable interference filters comprises first and second rotatable interference filters with identical wavelength characteristics for compensating a beam offset.  
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling intensity of a plurality of laser wavelengths coupled jointly in a laser scanning microscope comprising the steps of: 
 providing an illumination containing a plurality of wavelengths; and    adjusting the intensity of the wavelengths by a plurality of rotatable interference filters, wherein each rotatable interference filter is capable of adjusting the intensity of a corresponding wavelength of said plurality of wavelengths independent of other wavelengths of said plurality of wavelengths.    
     
     
         9 . A method for controlling a laser scanning microscope, comprising: 
 providing a rotatable filtering mechanism arranged in the path of an illumination containing a plurality of wavelengths; said rotatable filtering mechanism including a plurality of rotatable filters with each being capable of adjusting the intensity of a corresponding wavelength of said plurality of wavelengths independent of other wavelengths of said plurality of wavelengths;    rotating said rotatable filters to adjust the intensity of said illumination.    
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said rotatable filtering mechanism is comprised of a plurality of filters; each of said plurality of filters corresponding to each of said plurality of wavelengths.  
     
     
         11 . The method as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said rotatable filtering mechanism is comprised of rotatable interference filters.  
     
     
         12 . A laser scanning microscope, comprising: 
 an illumination source operable to provide an illumination containing a plurality of wavelengths; and    a filter unit coupled to the illumination source and including a plurality of rotatable interference filters, each filter being operable to adjust the intensity of a corresponding one of the plurality of wavelengths independent of other wavelengths;    
     
     
         13 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 12 , wherein the filter unit is disposed to receive light coming from a sample toward a fluorescence detector in order to suppress excitation wavelengths.  
     
     
         14 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of rotatable interference filters in the filter unit are arranged in series with each other in the illumination beam path.  
     
     
         15 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the rotatable interference filters includes a pair of filters with identical wavelength characteristics and having the same angle of incidence for compensating the beam offset.  
     
     
         16 . A laser scanning microscope, comprising: 
 a filter unit disposed in a detection beam path and including a plurality of rotatable interference filters, each filter being operable to adjust the intensity of a corresponding one of a plurality of wavelengths of the detection beam for wavelength-dependent influencing of the detection beam; and    a detector that receives the detection beam coming from the filter unit.    
     
     
         17 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the rotatable interference filters includes a pair of filters with identical wavelength characteristics for compensating the beam offset.  
     
     
         18 . The laser scanning microscope according to  claim 16 , wherein each filter is selected to suppress an unwanted excitation wavelength in fluorescence detection.  
     
     
         19 . A method for controlling a laser scanning microscope, comprising: 
 receiving a detection beam by a filter unit disposed in a detection beam path, the filter unit including a plurality of rotatable interference filters;    suppressing selected wavelengths of the received detection beam by the plurality of rotatable interference filters; and    receiving by a detector the detection beam from the filter unit.