Effects of system geometry on the axial response of the fibreoptical confocal microscope

The axial imaging properties of a confocal microscope using a single mode fibre as a detector are analysed. The axial response is calculated simply by performing an overlap integral in the back focal plane of the collector objective. The effects of axial misalignment of the fibre are investigated. The behaviour of the system has similarities with that of a confocal system with pinhole aperture and a finite Fresnel number geometry