Confocal microscope with large field and working distance.

A confocal microscope that uses separate, noncollinear objective lenses for illumination and collection makes it possible to work 20 mm from a sample with a field of view of 2.25 mm across and still achieve lateral and axial resolutions below 5 microm. The design is expected to have application to in vivo confocal microscopy, allowing a field of view and section thickness similar to those used by pathologists in examining excised tissue.