Apparatus and method for confocal observation of a sample

A structured disk for confocal observation of a sample with an imaging optical system, comprising:

• at least one disk-like body having a plurality of micro-optical elements on a first side and a correspondingly arranged pinhole pattern on a second side, the correspondingly arranged pinhole pattern formed by a plurality of pinholes, and each of the plurality of micro-optical elements arranged on the first side having a convex, dichroically coated front surface, wherein
• the convex, dichroically coated front surfaces are molded in a medium having a same refractive index as the plurality of micro-optical elements and thus having an uncurved surface arranged parallel to the at least one disk-like body,
• a plane of virtual illumination spots coincides with a plane of a pinhole mask,
• the at least one disk-like body includes a first disk-shaped body and a second disk-shaped body, and
• the plurality of micro-optical elements on the first disk-shaped body and the plurality of pinholes on the second disk-shaped body are arranged in correlation with each other.

A device for confocal observation of a fluorescent sample with a microscope, the device comprising:

• a disk for confocal observation of a sample with an imaging optical system, the disk including at least one disk-like body, the at least one disk-like body having a plurality of micro-optical elements on a first side and a correspondingly arranged pinhole pattern on a second side, the correspondingly arranged pinhole pattern formed by a plurality of pinholes, and each of the plurality of micro-optical elements arranged on the first side having a convex, dichroically coated front surface;
• wherein
• the disk is structured about a central axis, arranged between a tube lens and a detector of the microscope, illuminated with collimated light for excitation on a side facing the tube lens,
• the collimated light, due to the convex, dichroically coated front surfaces on the disk, produces a virtual spot pattern behind the convex, dichroically coated front surfaces and reflects rays back to the tube lens such that a corresponding excitation spot pattern is created therefrom in an object plane of the microscope, the corresponding excitation spot pattern generating a fluorescent spot pattern, which, after passing backwards through the tube lens, hits again the convex, dichroically coated front surfaces where excitation light was reflected, but is now transmitted due to a dichroic property of the convex, dichroically coated front surfaces, and
• a distance between the first side of the disk and the second side of the disk is selected such that ray bundles of the transmitted fluorescent spot pattern combine to form focal points in a plane of the plurality of pinholes and can be spatially (confocally) filtered by the correspondingly arranged pinhole pattern.