SPHERICAL-COORDINATE SCANNING CONFOCAL LASER MICROSCOPE

We present the design, construction, and characterization of a spheric al-coordinate scanning, reflection-mode confocal laser microscope (SCS LM). Two system designs are presented, namely a conventional bulk opti cs object-scanning design and a preliminary optical-fiber-based two-ax is optics/one-axis object scanning version. The bulk-optics design is characterized with respect to its optical sectioning property. Sample 3-D images acquired using the SCSLM are also presented, including a re construction of an ex vivo pig's cornea. The bulk optics design offers a higher light throughput, but it cannot be easily miniaturized for f uture integration in a microsurgical robot design. The fiber-based des ign has a reduced SNR but can be potentially made lightweight and smal l enough to be integrated as the imaging subsystem of a microsurgical robot.