Diode-pumped solid state laser light sources for confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy

Diode-pumped solid-state lasers (DPSSLs) have been integrated as light sources in confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The standard argon ion laser at 488 nm is compared with a DPSSL operating at 473 nm in terms of noise and CLSM image characteristics. The equally high fluorescence image quality together with the many advantageous characteristics inherent to solid-state lasers suggests that excitation using a DPSSL is favored. The application of a dual-line DPSSL emitting at 491 and 532 nm for high resolution CLSM fluorescence imaging is shown for the first time.