METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR CHECKING THE CONFOCALITY OF A SCANNING AND DESCANNING MICROSCOPE ASSEMBLY

For checking the confocality of a scanning and descanning microscope assembly comprising a light source providing illumination light focused into a focal area in a focal plane, a detector detecting light coming out of the focal area and having a detection aperture to be arranged in a confocal fashion with respect to the focal area, and a scanner, an auxiliary detection aperture of an auxiliary detector arranged in the focal plane is scanned with the focal area of the illumination light to record a first comparison intensity distribution of the illumination light registered by the auxiliary detector, and the detection aperture of the detector is scanned with auxiliary light that exits out of an auxiliary emission aperture of an auxiliary light source concentrically arranged with respect to the auxiliary detection aperture in the focal plane to record a second comparison intensity distribution of the auxiliary light registered by the detector.