Single and multi-aperture, translationally-coupled confocal microscope

摘要

Disclosed are microscopes, preferably confocal microscopes, that include aperture plates having one or more arrays of apertures defined therein. The aperture plate is disposed in a position within an incoming light beam such that the incoming light beam is spatially filtered as it passes through the array of apertures. In certain embodiments of the invention, the aperture plate is fixed and immovable, in others, the aperture plate is translatable within a plane of confocality.