Confocal, wide band spectral reflection microscope, and relevant spectral imaging method

This invention concerns a wideband spectral reflectance confocal microscope comprising a laser source (LS), a beam expander (BE) inserted immediately after the laser source (LS), a beam splitter (BS) in an adequately transparent material through the whole spectral interval emitted by the laser source (LS), a system (OB1) to focus the laser beam on the sample (S) presenting a working distance greater than 5mm and a numerical aperture greater than 0.25, a collection system (M, OB2, PH) and an analysis system (AS) of the laser beam reflected by the sample and transmitted by the beam splitter (BS), said analysis system (AS) comprising a chromatic dispersion subsystem capable of forming the spectrum to be analysed, the microscope being characterized in that: said laser source (LS) is a source that emits simultaneously at several wavelengths in the visible and infrared regions; said focusing system (OB1 ) is free of chromatic aberration; said beam splitter (BS) is positioned at 45° in respect of the laser beam direction; said collection system (M, OB2, PH) is free of chromatic aberration; so that at each analysed point of the sample (S) corresponds unambiguously a frequency response spectrum collected by the collection system (M, OB2, PH). The invention concerns as well a spectral imaging method of a sample (S) by means of a wideband spectral reflectance confocal microscope, besides the utilisation of the microscope of this invention for the same imaging.