laser scanning microscope (LSM)

A laser scanning microscope refers to a system where an image is built by scanning a laser illumination pattern across the sample (e.g., point-scanning, line-scanning) or the sample relative to a stationary laser illumination pattern.

See also: confocal microscopy, scanning microscope, confocal laser scanning microscopy, line-scanning confocal microscopy, point-scanning confocal microscopy, raster scanning

Learn more:

Introductory Confocal Concepts

A discussion of point scanning and pinhole detection using photomultipliers.