Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope objective lens unit includes: an objective lens which irradiates a sample with excitation light L; a photoacoustic wave detection unit which detects a photoacoustic wave U generated from the sample; and a photoacoustic wave guide system. The photoacoustic wave guide system includes: a photoacoustic wave separation member; and an acoustic lens that is disposed between the photoacoustic wave separation member and the sample and has a focus position that substantially matches with a focus position of the objective lens. The acoustic lens is obtained by cementing a main acoustic lens and a correction acoustic lens to each other. The main acoustic lens and the correction acoustic lens satisfy predetermined Conditional Expressions.

Abstract: Provided is a small endoscope objective optical system that allows stereoscopic viewing even though a wide angle is used, that reduces the F-number, and that also reduces vignetting. Provided is an endoscope objective optical system that consists of, sequentially from the object side, a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a pair of third lens groups that are disposed side-by-side in the direction of parallax and that form two optical images with parallax, wherein aperture stops are individually provided in the third lens groups, and conditional expression M below is satisfied: Fob_n/Fob_p>?0.5 ??(1), where Fob_n is a focal length of the first lens group, and Fob_p is a focal length of the second lens group.

Abstract: A stable combined image is generated from a plurality of image signals having parallax and obtained at different focal positions. An image acquisition apparatus includes an image-acquisition optical system that collects light from a subject; an image acquisition element that acquires an image of the light collected by the image-acquisition optical system; a micro-lens array having an array of multiple micro-lenses arranged such that each micro-lens covers multiple pixels of the image acquisition element; and a focal-length changing section that is disposed at a pupil position of the image-acquisition optical system and that spatially changes a focal length so as to focus light passing therethrough at a plurality of different focal positions.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope apparatus includes a light source that emits excitation light which generates photoacoustic waves, an objective lens which focuses the excitation light on a specimen, a scanning unit which moves a focused position of the excitation light on the specimen, a photoacoustic-wave detecting unit which has a sensor unit that detects a photoacoustic wave generated, and an image constructing unit which constructs an image based on data from the photoacoustic-wave detecting unit. For the sensor unit, an angle of a range which is capable of receiving the photoacoustic wave incident on the sensor unit is larger than an angle corresponding to a numerical aperture on a side illuminated of the objective lens.

Abstract: Provided is a small endoscope objective optical system that allows stereoscopic viewing even though a wide angle is used, that reduces the F-number, and that also reduces vignetting. Provided. is an endoscope objective optical system that consists of, sequentially from the object side, a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a pair of third lens groups that are disposed side-by-side in the direction of parallax and that form two optical images with parallax, wherein aperture stops are individually provided in the third lens groups, and conditional expression M below is satisfied: Fob_n/Fob_p>?0.5 ??(1), where Fob_n is a focal length of the first lens group, and Fob_p is a focal length of the second lens group.

Abstract: A photoacoustic microscope includes an objective lens that irradiates a specimen with excitation light, a light scanning unit that deflects the excitation light to scan the specimen, an acoustic lens that converts a wavefront of a photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light, a photoacoustic wave detection unit that detects the photoacoustic wave from the acoustic lens, a drive unit that displaces at least one of the acoustic lens and the photoacoustic wave detection unit, and a control unit that controls the drive unit, in synchronization with scanning of the excitation light by the light scanning unit, so that the photoacoustic wave is incident on the photoacoustic wave detection unit perpendicularly.

Abstract: A stable combined image is generated from a plurality of image signals having parallax and obtained at different focal positions. An image acquisition apparatus includes an image-acquisition optical system that collects light from a subject; an image acquisition element that acquires an image of the light collected by the image-acquisition optical system; a micro-lens array having an array of multiple micro-lenses arranged such that each micro-lens covers multiple pixels of the image acquisition element; and a focal-length changing section that is disposed at a pupil position of the image-acquisition optical system and that spatially changes a focal length so as to focus light passing therethrough at a plurality of different focal positions.

Abstract: Illuminating light is two-dimensionally scanned without changing the ability to focus the illuminating light on a specimen. Provided is a microscope apparatus including a spatial light modulator that modulates the wavefront of illuminating light; a scanner that two-dimensionally scans the illuminating light by pivoting two mirrors; a relay optical system that relays an image in the scanner to a pupil position of an objective optical system; and a beam-shift mechanism that moves rays of the illuminating light between the modulator and the objective optical system in response to pivoting of the mirrors. The beam-shift mechanism moves the rays such that the image at the pupil position, when assuming that the mirrors are stationary, is moved in the direction opposite to the direction in which the image relayed to the pupil position by the relay optical system, when assuming that the mirrors are pivoted with the rays fixed, is moved.

Abstract: A stereoscopic optical system includes: two objective optical systems arrayed parallel to each other with a space therebetween; two parallelogram prisms that bring optical images close to each other by respectively deflecting lights collected by the objective optical systems twice; an image pickup element arranged at image formation positions of the light fluxes collected by the objective optical systems to take the two optical images brought close to each other by the prisms; and a diaphragm member that blocks a portion of the light flux on at least one of an inner side and an outer side in a direction of the space at any position apart from a pupil position of each of the objective optical systems in a direction of an optical axis, wherein the diaphragm member is arranged on the inner side in the direction of the space, and satisfies a conditional expression L0?Ihy?W>Z0×sin ?.

Abstract: Provided is a three-dimensional-endoscope optical system that is provided with two objective optical systems having optical axes, which are arranged with a spacing therebetween, and that satisfies the following conditions: 0.5 mm<OP<1.5 mm??(1); 3 mm<D<200 mm??(2); ?<10°??(3); and 110°<?<180°??(4), where OP is a spacing between the optical axes of optical members at the most distal ends of the objective optical systems, D is a depth of field, ? is an angle of convergence (inward angle) of the depth of field D when performing near-point observation, and ? is an angle of view of the objective optical systems.

Abstract: Illuminating light is two-dimensionally scanned without changing the ability to focus the illuminating light on a specimen. Provided is a microscope apparatus including a spatial light modulator that modulates the wavefront of illuminating light; a scanner that two-dimensionally scans the illuminating light by pivoting two mirrors; a relay optical system that relays an image in the scanner to a pupil position of an objective optical system; and a beam-shift mechanism that moves rays of the illuminating light between the modulator and the objective optical system in response to pivoting of the mirrors. The beam-shift mechanism moves the rays such that the image at the pupil position, when assuming that the mirrors are stationary, is moved in the direction opposite to the direction in which the image relayed to the pupil position by the relay optical system, when assuming that the mirrors are pivoted with the rays fixed, is moved.

Abstract: The region and spot size of light that irradiates a specimen are changed. Provided is an illumination optical system including beam-deflecting means for changing the deflecting direction of light from a light source; a wavefront modulation device at a position optically conjugate with the beam-deflecting means and capable of modulating the wavefront of the light; a Fourier transform system that focuses the light from the wavefront modulation device and performs Fourier transformation thereon; an inverse Fourier transform system that performs inverse Fourier transformation on the light from the Fourier transform system to form a collimated light beam; and an objective optical system that focuses the light from the inverse Fourier transform system on an object, wherein the Fourier transform system includes a mechanism capable of changing the focal length while maintaining the focal position at the inverse Fourier transform system side at a fixed position.

Abstract: In a confocal laser scanning microscope that is equipped with a first scanning optical system for emitting an observation beam to scan and observe a sample and a second scanning optical system for emitting an excitation beam to scan and stimulate optically a part of the sample, the improvement of providing a micromirror device that simultaneously reflects the observation beam and the excitation beam as multiple sub-beams onto the sample. An optical scanning method using a confocal laser scanning microscope is disclosed that scans a sample with an observation beam and an excitation beam simultaneously using multiple observation beam spots and multiple excitation beams spots, thereby enabling events of short duration to be observed and/or recorded.

Abstract: In a confocal laser scanning microscope that is equipped with a first scanning optical system for emitting an observation beam to scan and observe a sample and a second scanning optical system for emitting an excitation beam to scan and stimulate optically a part of the sample, the improvement of providing a micromirror device that simultaneously reflects the observation beam and the excitation beam as multiple sub-beams onto the sample. An optical scanning method using a confocal laser scanning microscope is disclosed that scans a sample with an observation beam and an excitation beam simultaneously using multiple observation beam spots and multiple excitation beams spots, thereby enabling events of short duration to be observed and/or recorded.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an illumination light source emitting illumination light, a small-diameter image-transmitting portion, a distal end of which is placed near a specimen, an objective lens converging the illumination light to a proximal end of the image-transmitting portion, a light-detecting portion that detects light returned from the specimen via the image-transmitting portion and the objective lens, and a shield portion partially blocking the illumination light, the shield portion being disposed at near a pupil position of the objective lens or near a position optically conjugate with the pupil position so as to cover the illumination light path on one side in a radial direction. With this configuration, a sharp image with low noise can be obtained by preventing the occurrence of reflection at the proximal end of the image-transmitting portion and also by avoiding autofluorescene from being produced.

Abstract: An illuminating light modulating device modulates at least one of wavelength, phase, intensity, polarization, and coherency of the light emitted to an object by an illuminating device. A pupil modulating device is disposed near a pupil plane of an objective lens, and modulates at least one of phase, intensity and direction of polarization of the luminous flux including the information of the object. An image pickup device is disposed on a plane on which the image of the object is formed by the objective lens and an imaging lens, and picks up the image of the object. An image analysis device analyzes the image of the object picked up by the image pickup device. A parameter decision device adjusts the modulation amounts of the illuminating light modulating device and the pupil modulating device by using the image information of the object analyzed by the image analysis device.

Abstract: An optical information processing apparatus includes an image display section for displaying information on an object to be processed as image information, an image information reading section for converting a light from a light source into collimate light and projecting the collimate light onto the image display section to read image information, a Fourier transform optical system for obtaining the Fourier transform of the image information read by the image information reading section, an image dividing section for dividing the image information subjected to Fourier transform at the Fourier transform optical system, a filtering section for filtering the phase or amplitude information in one piece of the image information divided by the image dividing section, an inverse Fourier transform optical system for obtaining the inverse Fourier transform of the image information filtered at the filtering section, a filtering image information acquiring section for taking in the image information subjected to inverse

Abstract: An illuminating light modulating device modulates at least one of wavelength, phase, intensity, polarization, and coherency of the light emitted to an object by an illuminating device. A pupil modulating device is disposed near a pupil plane of an objective lens, and modulates at least one of phase, intensity and direction of polarization of the luminous flux including the information of the object. An image pickup device is disposed on a plane on which the image of the object is formed by the objective lens and an imaging lens, and picks up the image of the object. An image analysis device analyzes the image of the object picked up by the image pickup device. A parameter decision device adjusts the modulation amounts of the illuminating light modulating device and the pupil modulating device by using the image information of the object analyzed by the image analysis device.

Abstract: A multiplexing optical system capable of processing input information at high speed and with high accuracy and having an easy-to-align simplified arrangement. A parallel-beam generating device (11, 12, 13) generates an approximately parallel light beam. An input image display device has a grating member (222) which is latticed both vertically and horizontally, and a display device (22) which displays an input image. A Fourier transform lens (31) reproduces Fourier transformed images (311) of the input image by each order of diffracted light produced by reading the input image displayed on the display device (22) by the approximately parallel light beam from the parallel-beam generating device. The Fourier transformed images (311) are reproduced on a Fourier transform plane (F2) at an approximately constant pitch (p). A filter array (322) filters the reproduced Fourier transformed images (311). A lens array (33) performs an inverse Fourier transform on each filtered light beam.

Abstract: A multiplexing optical system necessary for transforming input information into effective feature vectors at high speed and with high accuracy, without loss of a spatial frequency component of multiplexed object vector information, for example. Also presented are a feature vector transformation apparatus using the multiplexing optical system, and others. The multiplexing optical system performs a Fourier transform in parallel on multiplexed vector information lying in an input plane (R) as an object to be processed. The system includes a Fourier transform lens (30) for performing a Fourier transform in parallel, and satisfies the condition of (k.sub.R .lambda.f.sub.F /a<p) in an arbitrary cross-section containing an optical axis, where k.sub.