confocal
adjective
con·fo·cal
(ˌ)kän-ˈfō-kəl 
: having the same foci
confocal ellipses
confocal lenses
Examples of confocal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This system combines two advanced technologies: the confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (CSLO) and the Fourier-transform spectrometer (FTS).
—
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Sitting at the controls of the confocal microscope that filled half of a dark and dusty room in Nixon’s lab, the research scientist Philip Stavrides toggled the field of focus up and down over one of the human Alzheimer’s brain samples.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
So the Bessel beam can scan a cell with the same total flux as the light spots used in confocal microscopy, but that flux is distributed among the seven beams and the cell isn’t flooded with excess light; thus, the cell isn’t damaged nearly as quickly.
—Jen Christiansen, Scientific American, 21 May 2013
The authors basically threw the toxinological kitchen sink at 'bee-killer' assassin bugs (Pristhesancus plagipennis), scanning and visualizing their tissues with with an MRI scan, a micro-CT scan, and confocal laser scanning microscopy to figure out all the moving parts.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2018
Researchers used superresolution confocal microscopy and green fluorescent protein (GFP) to capture this close-up.
—Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2018
Alexandre Dumoulin from the University of Zurich used confocal imaging at 40x magnification to highlight these nerve fibers that convey information and connect the two sides of bilateral animals.
—Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2021
This image was created using a laser scanning confocal microscope by Igor Siwanowicz of Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
—Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2012
The probe allowed the researchers to watch the disease progress in living mice under a giant confocal microscope.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
Sitting at the controls of the confocal microscope that filled half of a dark and dusty room in Nixon’s lab, the research scientist Philip Stavrides toggled the field of focus up and down over one of the human Alzheimer’s brain samples.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
So the Bessel beam can scan a cell with the same total flux as the light spots used in confocal microscopy, but that flux is distributed among the seven beams and the cell isn’t flooded with excess light; thus, the cell isn’t damaged nearly as quickly.
—Jen Christiansen, Scientific American, 21 May 2013
The authors basically threw the toxinological kitchen sink at 'bee-killer' assassin bugs (Pristhesancus plagipennis), scanning and visualizing their tissues with with an MRI scan, a micro-CT scan, and confocal laser scanning microscopy to figure out all the moving parts.
—Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2018
Researchers used superresolution confocal microscopy and green fluorescent protein (GFP) to capture this close-up.
—Discover Magazine, 23 Feb. 2018
Alexandre Dumoulin from the University of Zurich used confocal imaging at 40x magnification to highlight these nerve fibers that convey information and connect the two sides of bilateral animals.
—Donna Sarkar, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2021
This image was created using a laser scanning confocal microscope by Igor Siwanowicz of Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
—Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2012
The probe allowed the researchers to watch the disease progress in living mice under a giant confocal microscope.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confocal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1867, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near confocal
Cite this Entry
“Confocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confocal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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