SIMPLE MODIFICATION OF A COMMERCIAL SCANNING LASER MICROSCOPE TO INCORPORATE DARK-FIELD IMAGING

Dark-field imaging modes have attracted less interest in biological co nfocal microscopy than the extensive applications of immunofluorescenc e imaging. There are, however, certain biological and materials scienc e applications where it is necessary to use a confocal imaging mode th at is capable of partial or full rejection of light specularly reflect ed from coverslips, microscope slides or specimen surfaces, In this pa per we present a simple modification of a commercial confocal microsco pe to incorporate dark-field imaging. We discuss theoretical aspects o f the resulting dark-field imaging mode and also give experimental exa mples.