PATENTS RELATED TO CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

Although it is not necessary for a patent agent to have personal experience with the specific subject matter, such personal experience has its advantages. Dr. Demchick has considerable microscopy experience including developing some new microscopy techniques. References include:

P. Demchick and A.L. Koch. 1996. The permeability of the wall fabric of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Journal of Bacteriology. 178:768-773.

S. Woeste and P.H. Demchick. 1991. New version of the negative stain. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 57:1858-1859.

Dr. Demchick also has taught about microscopy in various college and university courses.

Dr. Demchick is a scientist with a quarter of a century of research experience in academic, industrial and governmental settings.

If you are considering patent protection for an invention, Dr. Demchick will be glad to discuss the matter with you. There is no charge for an initial discussion.

The following sampling is to give you some sense of the types of confocal microscopy related inventions which have received United States patent protection. The patent list is not exhaustive and is certainly not a substitute for a proper patent search . It should be noted that only U.S. Patents are included.

It should be noted that spelling, form and typographical errors in the original patents are preserved here.

Longitudinal differential interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,133,139)

Contrast enhancing solution for use in confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,128,894)

Spectroscope confocal optical system using the same, and scanning microscope (United States Patent 7,126,684)

Interferometric confocal microscopy incorporating a pinhole array beam-splitter (United States Patent 7,084,983)

Confocal laser microscope displaying target images side by side (United States Patent 7,078,664)

Double confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 7,054,062)

Reference device for evaluating the performance of a confocal laser scanning microscope, and a method and system for performing that evaluation (United States Patent 7,053,384)

Transverse differential interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,046,372)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 7,038,848)

Method and apparatus for dark field interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,023,560)

Detection apparatus for the optical detection of an object, method for operating a detection apparatus of this type and scanning apparatus and confocal microscope (United States Patent 7,015,450)

Leaky guided wave modes used in interferometric confocal microscopy to measure properties of trenches (United States Patent 7,009,712)

Three-dimensional confocal microscope (United States Patent 7,002,737)

Ultrasensitive photodetector with integrated pinhole for confocal microscopes (United States Patent 6,995,444)

Three-dimensional confocal microscope system (United States Patent 6,982,824)

Method for operating a laser scanning confocal microscope system and a system thereof (United States Patent 6,956,647)

Confocal microscope comprising two microlens arrays and a pinhole diaphragm array (United States Patent 6,934,079)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,917,468)

Double confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,891,670)

Method for operating a laser scanning confocal microscope system and a system thereof (United States Patent 6,859,273)

Single and multi-aperture, translationally-coupled confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,856,457)

Confocal microscopy with multi-spectral encoding and system and apparatus for spectroscopically encoded confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,831,781)

Optical arrangement for selection and detection of the spectral region of a light beam and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,809,815)

Focus aid for confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,787,746)

Optical system in the ray path of a confocal fluorescence microscope (United States Patent 6,785,302)

Optical arrangement for the illumination of specimens for confocal scanning microscopes (United States Patent 6,781,752)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,778,323)

Differential interferometric scanning near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,775,009)

Optical storage system based on scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,753,968)

Miniature scanning confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,749,346)

Fiber-coupled multiplexed confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,747,795)

Apparatus for combining light and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,737,635)

Arrangement and method for focus monitoring in a microscope with digital image generation, preferably in a confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,717,125)

Fiber-coupled, high-speed, integrated, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscopes employing vertical cross-section scanning (United States Patent 6,713,742)

Confocal microscope system and controller thereof (United States Patent 6,707,604)

Light path deviation detecting apparatus and confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,693,272)

Optical arrangement for the illumination of specimens for confocal scanning microscopes (United States Patent 6,690,511)

Confocal microscopy apparatus and method (United States Patent 6,687,052)

Apparatus for coupling light into an optical assemblage and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,686,583)

Method and apparatus for the detection of fluorescent light in confocal scanning microscopy (United States Patent 6,677,596)

Confocal microscopic device (United States Patent 6,674,572)

Cellular surgery utilizing confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,668,186)

Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy with background amplitude reduction and compensation (United States Patent 6,667,809)

High speed confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,642,504)

Laser microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,621,628)

Optical arrangement for deflecting a light beam, particularly in two substantially mutually perpendicular directions and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,618,178)

Method for examining a specimen, and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,614,031)

Optical storage system based on scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,606,159)

Confocal microscope and height measurement method using the same (United States Patent 6,580,518)

Optical arrangement for illuminating objects and double--confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,570,705)

Z sharpening for fibre confocal microscopes (United States Patent 6,567,585)

Entangled-photon microscope and confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,567,164)

Laser scanning microscope with displaceable confocal diaphragms (United States Patent 6,563,632)

Apparatus for illuminating a specimen and confocal fluorescence scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,555,826)

Scanning confocal optical microscope system (United States Patent 6,555,811)

Scanning confocal electron microscope (United States Patent 6,548,810)

Device to improve Z-axis resolution in confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,545,789)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,515,277)

Confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,496,307)

Scanning microscope and a confocal scanning microscope having a circulator (United States Patent 6,492,638)

Multiple layer confocal interference microscopy using wavenumber domain reflectometry and background amplitude reduction and compensation (United States Patent 6,480,285)

Process and arrangement for confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,462,345)

Confocal microscope and wide field microscope (United States Patent 6,449,087)

Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,445,453)

Method and system for compensating intensity fluctuations of an illumination system in a confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,444,971)

Scanning confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,437,910)

Confocal optical microscope, magnifying attachment therefor and method of use thereof (United States Patent 6,429,967)

Confocal microscope with a motorized scanning table (United States Patent 6,429,897)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,426,835)

Method for operating a preferably confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,426,490)

Method and system for processing scan-data from a confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,423,960)

Fiber-coupled, high-speed, integrated, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscopes employing vertical cross-section scanning (United States Patent 6,423,956)

Confocal microscope for facilitating cryosurgery of tissue (United States Patent 6,413,252)

Confocal microscope for optical determination of an observation volume (United States Patent 6,407,856)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,396,054)

Confocal microscopic equipment (United States Patent 6,388,808)

Confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,388,807)

Confocal heterodyne interference microscopy (United States Patent 6,381,023)

Fiber-coupled, angled-dual-illumination-axis confocal scanning microscopes for performing reflective and two-photon fluorescence imaging (United States Patent 6,369,928)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,369,379)

Confocal laser scanning microscope, calibration unit for a confocal laser scanning microscope and method for calibrating a confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,355,919)

Fiber-coupled, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscopes for imaging in a scattering medium (United States Patent 6,351,325)

Confocal microscopy with multi-spectral encoding (United States Patent 6,341,036)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,341,035)

Scanning confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,317,258)

Method and apparatus for performing scanning optical coherence confocal microscopy through a scattering medium (United States Patent 6,307,633)

Process and arrangement for the device configuration of confocal microscopes (United States Patent 6,300,639)

High speed 3-dimensional confocal microscopic equipment (United States Patent 6,300,618)

Inverted confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,297,904)

Laser microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,282,020)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,281,491)

Confocal microscopic equipment (United States Patent 6,248,995)

Conventional and confocal multi-spot scanning optical microscope (United States Patent 6,248,988)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,242,734)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,232,597)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,229,138)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,204,962)

Confocal microscope apparatus and photographing apparatus for confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,191,885)

Longitudinal differential interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,133,139)

Contrast enhancing solution for use in confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,128,894)

Spectroscope confocal optical system using the same, and scanning microscope (United States Patent 7,126,684)

Interferometric confocal microscopy incorporating a pinhole array beam-splitter (United States Patent 7,084,983)

Confocal laser microscope displaying target images side by side (United States Patent 7,078,664)

Double confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 7,054,062)

Reference device for evaluating the performance of a confocal laser scanning microscope, and a method and system for performing that evaluation (United States Patent 7,053,384)

Transverse differential interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,046,372)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 7,038,848)

Method and apparatus for dark field interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,023,560)

Detection apparatus for the optical detection of an object, method for operating a detection apparatus of this type and scanning apparatus and confocal microscope (United States Patent 7,015,450)

Leaky guided wave modes used in interferometric confocal microscopy to measure properties of trenches (United States Patent 7,009,712)

Three-dimensional confocal microscope (United States Patent 7,002,737)

Ultrasensitive photodetector with integrated pinhole for confocal microscopes (United States Patent 6,995,444)

Three-dimensional confocal microscope system (United States Patent 6,982,824)

Method for operating a laser scanning confocal microscope system and a system thereof (United States Patent 6,956,647)

Confocal microscope comprising two microlens arrays and a pinhole diaphragm array (United States Patent 6,934,079)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,917,468)

Double confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,891,670)

Method for operating a laser scanning confocal microscope system and a system thereof (United States Patent 6,859,273)

Single and multi-aperture, translationally-coupled confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,856,457)

Confocal microscopy with multi-spectral encoding and system and apparatus for spectroscopically encoded confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,831,781)

Optical arrangement for selection and detection of the spectral region of a light beam and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,809,815)

Focus aid for confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,787,746)

Optical system in the ray path of a confocal fluorescence microscope (United States Patent 6,785,302)

Optical arrangement for the illumination of specimens for confocal scanning microscopes (United States Patent 6,781,752)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,778,323)

Differential interferometric scanning near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,775,009)

Optical storage system based on scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,753,968)

Miniature scanning confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,749,346)

Fiber-coupled multiplexed confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,747,795)

Apparatus for combining light and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,737,635)

Arrangement and method for focus monitoring in a microscope with digital image generation, preferably in a confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,717,125)

Fiber-coupled, high-speed, integrated, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscopes employing vertical cross-section scanning (United States Patent 6,713,742)

Confocal microscope system and controller thereof (United States Patent 6,707,604)

Light path deviation detecting apparatus and confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,693,272)

Optical arrangement for the illumination of specimens for confocal scanning microscopes (United States Patent 6,690,511)

Confocal microscopy apparatus and method (United States Patent 6,687,052)

Apparatus for coupling light into an optical assemblage and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,686,583)

Method and apparatus for the detection of fluorescent light in confocal scanning microscopy (United States Patent 6,677,596)

Confocal microscopic device (United States Patent 6,674,572)

Cellular surgery utilizing confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,668,186)

Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy with background amplitude reduction and compensation (United States Patent 6,667,809)

High speed confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,642,504)

Laser microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,621,628)

Optical arrangement for deflecting a light beam, particularly in two substantially mutually perpendicular directions and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,618,178)

Method for examining a specimen, and confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,614,031)

Optical storage system based on scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,606,159)

Confocal microscope and height measurement method using the same (United States Patent 6,580,518)

Optical arrangement for illuminating objects and double--confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,570,705)

Z sharpening for fibre confocal microscopes (United States Patent 6,567,585)

Entangled-photon microscope and confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,567,164)

Laser scanning microscope with displaceable confocal diaphragms (United States Patent 6,563,632)

Apparatus for illuminating a specimen and confocal fluorescence scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,555,826)

Scanning confocal optical microscope system (United States Patent 6,555,811)

Scanning confocal electron microscope (United States Patent 6,548,810)

Device to improve Z-axis resolution in confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,545,789)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,515,277)

Confocal scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,496,307)

Scanning microscope and a confocal scanning microscope having a circulator (United States Patent 6,492,638)

Multiple layer confocal interference microscopy using wavenumber domain reflectometry and background amplitude reduction and compensation (United States Patent 6,480,285)

Process and arrangement for confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,462,345)

Confocal microscope and wide field microscope (United States Patent 6,449,087)

Scanning interferometric near-field confocal microscopy (United States Patent 6,445,453)

Method and system for compensating intensity fluctuations of an illumination system in a confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,444,971)

Scanning confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,437,910)

Confocal optical microscope, magnifying attachment therefor and method of use thereof (United States Patent 6,429,967)

Confocal microscope with a motorized scanning table (United States Patent 6,429,897)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,426,835)

Method for operating a preferably confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,426,490)

Method and system for processing scan-data from a confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,423,960)

Fiber-coupled, high-speed, integrated, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscopes employing vertical cross-section scanning (United States Patent 6,423,956)

Confocal microscope for facilitating cryosurgery of tissue (United States Patent 6,413,252)

Confocal microscope for optical determination of an observation volume (United States Patent 6,407,856)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,396,054)

Confocal microscopic equipment (United States Patent 6,388,808)

Confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,388,807)

Confocal heterodyne interference microscopy (United States Patent 6,381,023)

Fiber-coupled, angled-dual-illumination-axis confocal scanning microscopes for performing reflective and two-photon fluorescence imaging (United States Patent 6,369,928)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,369,379)

Confocal laser scanning microscope, calibration unit for a confocal laser scanning microscope and method for calibrating a confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,355,919)

Fiber-coupled, angled-dual-axis confocal scanning microscopes for imaging in a scattering medium (United States Patent 6,351,325)

Confocal microscopy with multi-spectral encoding (United States Patent 6,341,036)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,341,035)

Scanning confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,317,258)

Method and apparatus for performing scanning optical coherence confocal microscopy through a scattering medium (United States Patent 6,307,633)

Process and arrangement for the device configuration of confocal microscopes (United States Patent 6,300,639)

High speed 3-dimensional confocal microscopic equipment (United States Patent 6,300,618)

Inverted confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,297,904)

Laser microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope (United States Patent 6,282,020)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,281,491)

Confocal microscopic equipment (United States Patent 6,248,995)

Conventional and confocal multi-spot scanning optical microscope (United States Patent 6,248,988)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,242,734)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,232,597)

Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making confocal, spectrophotometric, near-field, and scanning probe measurements and associated images (United States Patent 6,229,138)

Confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,204,962)

Confocal microscope apparatus and photographing apparatus for confocal microscope (United States Patent 6,191,885)

Longitudinal differential interferometric confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,133,139)

Contrast enhancing solution for use in confocal microscopy (United States Patent 7,128,894)

Spectroscope confocal optical system using the same, and scanning microscope (United States Patent 7,126,684)

Interferometric confocal microscopy incorporating a pinhole array beam-splitter (United States Patent 7,084,983)

Although his recognition as a registered patent agent permits him to represent others in all patent matters before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Dr. Demchick limits his practice to patent matters involving inventions for which he is confident that his expertise will allow him to serve his client well. He will gladly discuss whether he is comfortable handling cases involving inventions in a particular field. He will err on the side of declining cases if he has uncertainty about his ability to do what is needed in the case. Dr. Demchick does not represent clients in court. However, he refers clients to a patent attorney who does represent others in court, if it appears likely that patent related representation in court is appropriate. Dr. Demchick prepares and files non-provisional (regular) patent applications and provisional patent applications. He prepares and files utility patent applications and design patent applications. He prepares and files U.S. patent applications and international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). He prepares and files applications to enter the U.S. National Phase for inventions for which international patent applications (PCT) were already filed. One of the matters he discusses with each client or potential client is which type of application(s) best meets that client's needs. He usually does a patent search (patentability search) as part of the preparation of a patent application. He discusses the value of patent searching with each inventor before agreeing to prepare a patent application for that inventor.