Line-scanning confocal microscope utilizing high brightness LED

Confocal microscopy is becoming widely used in clinical dermatology. In particular, confocal reflectance microscopy provides the lateral resolution required to see sub-nuclear particles in biological cells. In most confocal microscopes, lasers are used as light sources. They provide sufficient power in a high high radiance coherent wave. Ordinary LEDs provide less radiance of incoherent light. Considering the large power loss in a microscope, ordinary LEDs cannot provide enough power for imaging. However high brightness LEDs have been developed. In this paper, we report on the successful implementation of a high brightness LED in our line scanning confocal microscope for the first time. We are able to obtain reflectance images from USAF resolution chart. Resolution is compared with the identical setup using laser diode as light source.