Laser scanner apparatus for fluorescence measurements

A laser scanner apparatus (1) for imaging and/or measuring fluorescent samples which are located on specimen slides and treated with two different fluorescent dyes, comprising:

• (a) a motor-driveable sample table (2) with a receptacle (34) for specimen slides (8,10) in a sample plane (49);
• (b) at least one laser (51,52) and a first optical system (53) for providing two laser beams (54,55) of differing wavelength oriented parallel to each other and extending parallel to this plane (49);
• (c) a scanner means (72) comprising a scanner head (50) which is accomplished to be movable parallel to this plane (49) and back and forth in a direction of movement (75) and has an optical deflection element (56) for deflecting the laser beams (54,55) toward the sample;
• (d) a first objective (57) for focusing the laser beams (54,55) on the sample in the plane (49);
• (e) a second optical system (58) for forwarding to detectors (61,61′) emission beam bundles (59,60) which are triggered by the laser beams (54,55) on the sample and deflected by the first objective (57) and the deflection element (56) in a direction substantially parallel to the plane (49), and
• (f) two detectors (61,61′) for detecting the emission beam bundles (59,60) of differing wavelength coming from the samples,
• wherein the scanner means (72) further comprises a drive (71) and a counter oscillator (73), the scanner head (50) and counter oscillator (73) being connected to the drive (71) by means of connecting rods (70,70′) and each displaceably fastened to a linear guide (68);
• the drive (71) being implemented to bring the scanner head (50) into a rapid back-and-forth movement in the direction of movement (75) which at the same time defines a scan axis (75);
• the counter oscillator (73) having a mass at least equivalent to the scanner head (50) for impulse compensation by a movement that is opposite to the scanner head (50);
• wherein the optical deflection element (56) is configured as one or a combination of a dichroic mirror (62), a full mirror, a prism, a pentaprism, and a pentamirror and
• wherein the optical deflection element (56) causes spatial separation of two resulting focal points (65) by a distance δ and a spatial separation of the two emission beam bundles (59,60) that are non-parallel to each other and that are guided in the direction of the detectors (61,61′).