ABSTRACT
A confocal imaging system creates a high-contrast image of a single plane within an optically transparent or translucent material by blocking most of the out-of-focus light that degrades the quality of the image with conventional microscopy techniques. Reducing out-of-focus light provides the ability to image individual planes (optical sections) within the sample without having to disturb the natural morphology by freezing and cutting the sample into thin slices, as is the current procedure for histology. A confocal microscope uses a point source of light, such as a focused laser beam, to illuminate a spot within the sample. Scattered or ¦uorescent light from the focal spot images through a point aperture positioned at the image plane of the objective, such that only the light originating from the focal spot passes to the detector to provide the signal for one pixel. ™e light source, illuminated spot, and detector aperture are in optically conjugate focal planes leading to the name “confocal.” A two-dimensional image is created by scanning the focused spot within an area of the sample.
