IMAGE-FORMATION IN A FIBEROPTIC CONFOCAL SCANNING MICROSCOPE

Theoretical studies on image formation in a confocal scanning microscope with optical fibers as the transmission medium are reported. Theoretical analyses show that this new kind of microscope can be considered a coherent imaging system, even for finite fiber spot size. Based on these studies the coherent transfer functions in both in-focus and defocused cases are derived and calculated. The axial coherent transfer functions are also obtained, and, furthermore, the optical-sectioning property of the microscope system is investigated with the consideration of the image formation of a perfect-reflection planar object and a point object.