Design and implementation of the galvanometer scanning system for reflectance confocal and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

We report on two strategies to design and implement the galvanometer-based laser-scanning mechanisms for the realization of reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy systems. The RCM system uses a resonant galvanometer scanner driven by a home-built field-programmable gate array circuit with a novel dual-trigger mode and a home-built high-speed data acquisition card. The SRS system uses linear galvanometers with commercially available modules. We demonstrate video-rate high-resolution imaging at 11 frames per second of in vivo human skin with the RCM system and label-free biomolecular imaging of cancer cells with the SRS system. A comparison of the two strategies for controlling galvanometer scanners provides scientific and technical reference for future design and commercialization of various laser-scanning microscopes using galvanometers.