Image reading apparatus

An image reading apparatus comprising at least one laser stimulating ray source, a stage on which two or more kinds of image carriers can selectively be placed, a scanning mechanism for scanning the image carrier with a laser beam emitted from the at least one laser stimulating ray source, thereby stimulating the image carrier, a light detector for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the image carrier in response to stimulation by the laser beam and a confocal optical system for leading light emitted from the image carrier to the light detector, the image reading apparatus further comprising a confocal switching means having diameter-variable pinhole means and disposed between the confocal optical system and the light detector and whose pinhole diameter is variable, wherein the confocal switching means is constituted by a rectangular plate member formed with a plurality of pinholes having different diameters and the image reading apparatus further comprises drive means for sliding the confocal switching means so that the respective pinholes can be selectively located in a path of light emitted from the image carrier.

An image reading apparatus comprising at least one laser stimulating ray source, a stage on which two or more kinds of image carriers can selectively be placed, a scanning mechanism for scanning the image carrier with a laser beam emitted from the at least one laser stimulating ray source, thereby stimulating the image carrier, a light detector for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the image carrier in response to stimulation by the laser beam and a confocal optical system for leading light emitted from the image carrier to the light detector, the image reading apparatus further comprising a confocal switching means having diameter-variable pinhole means and disposed between the confocal optical system and the light detector and whose pinhole diameter is variable, wherein the confocal switching means is constituted by a circular plate member formed with a plurality of pinholes having different diameters and the image reading apparatus further comprises drive means for rotating the confocal switching means so that the respective pinholes can be selectively located in a path of light emitted from the image carrier.

An image reading apparatus comprising at least one laser stimulating ray source, a stage on which two or more kinds of image carriers can selectively be placed, a scanning mechanism for scanning the image carrier with a laser beam emitted from the at least one laser stimulating ray source, thereby stimulating the image carrier, a light detector for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the image carrier in response to stimulation by the laser beam and a confocal optical system for leading light emitted from the image carrier to the light detector, the image reading apparatus further comprising a confocal switching means having diameter-variable pinhole means and disposed between the confocal optical system and the light detector and whose pinhole diameter is variable, wherein the confocal switching means is constituted by a plate-like member formed with a single pinhole and the image reading apparatus further comprises a drive means for sliding the confocal switching means between a confocal position where the single pinhole is located in a path of light emitted from the image carrier and a retracted position where the single pinhole is retracted from the path of light emitted from the image carrier.

An image reading apparatus comprising at least one laser stimulating ray source, a stage on which two or more kinds of image carriers can selectively be placed, a scanning mechanism for scanning the image carrier with a laser beam emitted from the at least one laser stimulating ray source, thereby stimulating the image carrier, a light detector for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the image carrier in response to stimulation by the laser beam and a confocal optical system for leading light emitted from the image carrier to the light detector, the image reading apparatus further comprising a confocal switching means having diameter-variable pinhole means and disposed between the confocal optical system and the light detector and whose pinhole diameter is variable, wherein the two or more kinds of image carriers include image carriers holding a substance to be analyzed on a surface and image carriers suspending the substance to be analyzed at a sub-surface.

An image reading apparatus comprising at least one laser stimulating ray source, a stage on which two or more kinds of image carriers can selectively be placed, a scanning mechanism for scanning the image carrier with a laser beam emitted from the at least one laser stimulating ray source, thereby stimulating the image carrier, a light detector for photoelectrically detecting light emitted from the image carrier in response to stimulation by the laser beam and a confocal optical system for leading light emitted from the image carrier to the light detector, the image reading apparatus further comprising a confocal switching means having diameter-variable pinhole means and disposed between the confocal optical system and the light detector and whose pinhole diameter is variable, a holder sensor for detecting the kind of a holder supporting the image carrier placed on the stage and a confocal switching control means for controlling the drive means in accordance with a detection signal of the holder sensor.