Laser scanning microscope apparatus and laser scanning method having light-level control at finer resolution than output-power control

摘要

Both light stimulation of a specimen at a high intensity and detailed fluorescence observation at a low intensity are realized by using a single laser light source. Provided is a laser scanning microscope apparatus (1) including a laser light source (11) that generates laser light; output-power control portion (13) that can set an output power of the laser light source (11) by changing the output power in a step-wise manner; an AOTF (15) that can adjust a light level of the laser light emitted from the laser light source (11) in a step-wise manner at a resolution that is finer than a resolution at which the output-power control portion (13) changes the output power of the laser light source (11); and an observation device (17) that scans the laser light whose light level has been adjusted by the AOTF (15) on a specimen and that detects fluorescence generated at the specimen.