Scanning microscope with multiplexed light sources

A scanning optical microscope for optically interrogating a sample with probe laser light at different laser wavelengths, comprising:

• different laser beam optical modules located to produce different probe laser beams respectively at different laser wavelengths which are combined into a combined probe laser beam bundle in which the different probe laser beams are directed to propagate along a common optical path yet with different beam propagation angles relative to one another;
• an optical beam routing device located in the common optical path of the combined probe laser beam bundle having the different probe laser beams and structured to include an optical input port to receive the combined probe laser beam bundle to redirect the combined probe laser beam bundle and a different optical output port;
• an optical scanning device located to receive the combined probe laser beam bundle having the different probe laser beams and structured to include an actuator to cause a scanning of the combined probe laser beam bundle having the different probe laser beams to output the different probe laser beams with each being scanned over a scanning range while still being in different beam propagation angles relative to one another;
• a sample stage structured to include a sample surface for holding a sample to be optically interrogated by the different probe laser beams at the different laser wavelengths that are scanned over different locations of the sample by the optical scanning device;
• a microscope objective lens placed in an optical path of the combined probe laser beam bundle having the different probe laser beams between the optical scanning device and the sample stage to focus the different probe laser beams onto the sample surface at different probe laser beam locations near or on the sample surface so that each probe laser beam at a respective laser wavelength excites generation in the sample of a corresponding fluorescent emission at different fluorescent emission wavelengths caused by laser light at the respective laser wavelength and the different probe laser beams at the different probe laser beam locations cause different fluorescent emissions in the sample at the different probe laser beam locations that are collected by the microscope objective lens as different collected fluorescent emission beams from the different probe laser beam locations at different fluorescent emission beam propagation angles to propagate to the optical scanning device which directs the different collected fluorescent emission beams at different fluorescent emission beam propagation angles to the optical beam routing device which outputs the different collected fluorescent emission beams at different fluorescent emission beam propagation angles at the optical output port as spatially separated different fluorescent emission beams at different fluorescent emission beam propagation angles;
• a lens located to receive, from the optical output port of the optical beam routing device, the different fluorescent emission beams at different fluorescent emission beam propagation angles, and to focus the different fluorescent emission beams to different beam focus locations;
• different optical fibers located to have respective fiber end facets at the different beam focus locations by the lens, respectively, so that one fiber end facet of one optical fiber receives one of the different fluorescent emission beams;
• and
• different optical detection modules that are respectively coupled to the different optical fibers to receive the different fluorescent emission beams, one optical detection module for one fluorescent emission beam caused by one of the different probe laser beams, wherein each optical detection module includes an optical diffractive device to spatially separates different optical spectral components of a received fluorescent emission beam into different fluorescent emission spectral beams at different optical fluorescent emission wavelengths and an optical detector array of different optical detectors that respectively receive the different fluorescent emission spectral beams to produce different detector signals representing the different fluorescent emission spectral beams.