Scanning Confocal Basics n What’s so special ? n Confocals give higher resolution than normal microscopes. n Confocals can OPTICALLY SECTION a sample.

Optical Sectioning n This means an image of a slice of the sample is formed without actually cutting it.

So what is it ? n Scanning Confocals are additions to normal light microscopes.

What’s inside ? n The Scanning Confocal Microscope is little more than a hole in an opaque wall. n Out of focus information cannot pass through the hole.

So just how does a Scanning Confocal work ? n The in focus light passes through the pinhole and reaches the detector.

The out of Focus light is Rejected n But the pinhole will not let out of focus light through to the detector.

But what about the Scanning ? n The scanning confocal builds its image from separate points, much the same way a TV does.