Abstract: In a method for the examination of a sample the sample is illuminated in a sample plane along a sample line with an illuminating light beam. The sample is acted upon by a depletion or switching light beam, which overlaps in the sample plane in an overlap region at least partially spatially with the illuminating light beam and which has at least one wavelength suitable for depletion of the sample. Part of fluorescent light emanating from the sample plane is detected as detection light. The fluorescent light originating from outside a first subregion and a second subregion is at least partially suppressed and not detected.

Abstract: A fluidic handling unit includes a baseplate, a fluidic inlet block, a fluidic outlet block, a pump in fluidic communication with the fluidic inlet block and the fluidic outlet block, a carrier control board in electrical communication with the pump, and a flow cell carrier comprising a microfluidic flow cell receiving area, wherein the flow cell carrier is configured to receive and retain the fluidic handling unit. A bottom surface of the fluidic handling unit is configured to complementary mate with a top surface of the flow cell carrier, or wherein a bottom surface of the flow cell carrier is configured to complementarily mate with a top surface of the fluidic handling unit.

Abstract: A computerized efficient data processing management method for imaging applications first performs a data flow graph generation by computing means using at least one image data and at least one requested task to generate a data flow graph. The method then applies a task execution scheduling using the data flow graph generated, a caching system configuration, the at least one image data and at least one requested task to schedule execution of the at least one requested task to generate task execution output. In addition, an adaptive data processing method performs caching system update and an optimal data processing method further performs data flow graph update.

Abstract: A SPIM-microscope (Selective Plane Imaging Microscope) having a y-direction illumination light source and a z-direction detection light camera. An x-scanner generates a sequential light sheet by scanning the illumination light beam in the x-direction. The SPIM-microscope has an illumination optics having a zoom optics provided in a beam path of the illumination light beam, the zoom optics being adapted to change the focal length of the illumination light beam and adapted to detect a larger area of the object by sequentially detecting sequences of images along the y-direction that have an increased resolution along the z-direction. An image processing unit combines these sequences of images by image stitching into one large overall image.

Abstract: An image processing system, includes a processor, wherein the processor is configured to obtain image pixel data generated by an optical imaging system of a microscope, to perform deconvolution processing on the obtained image pixel data for generating deconvolved image pixel data, to perform denoising processing on the obtained image pixel data for generating denoised image pixel data, to obtain a sampling density based on which the image pixel data is generated by the optical imaging system, and to mix the deconvolved image pixel data and the denoised image pixel data for generating mixed image pixel data with a weighting dependent on the sampling density to change a ratio of the deconvolved image pixel data in relation to the denoised image pixel data when the sampling density exceeds an oversampling limit.

Abstract: A system for microscopic examination of a sample has a microscope and an incubation environment conditioning unit connected to the microscope. The microscope has a microscope housing enclosing an illumination optics, a microscope stage and an imaging optics, an integrated sample chamber located within the microscope housing and formed by a separated housing section within the microscope housing. The housing section has a microscope interface for connecting the incubation environment conditioning unit to the sample chamber and/or to a stage top chamber for placing within the sample chamber and for receiving the sample. The system provides a first and a second incubation modes. In the first incubation mode the sample chamber is incubated by supply of a first incubation atmosphere by the incubation environment conditioning unit. In the second incubation mode the stage top chamber is incubated by supply of a second incubation atmosphere by the incubation environment conditioning unit.

Abstract: A control system for operating a system having an operable component includes a master and a slave assigned to the component. The master and the slave each comprise a software processing part and a programmable logic part. The master is configured by its software processing part to: receive job data, transform the job data into component job data, and send the component job data to the slave. The master is configured by its programmable logic part to send information about a current job status to the slave. The slave is configured by its programmable logic part to receive the information about the current job status, and to send information about the current job status to its software processing part. The slave is configured by its software processing part to execute a job corresponding to the component job data using the current job status.

Abstract: A method for checking a dissection process in a laser microdissection system includes carrying out the dissection process for cutting out a dissectate from an object in a first region of the object by a laser beam. First image data is acquired of at least the first region of the object after the dissection process. It is examined whether the first image data has sharp structures within a region to be separated by the dissection process in order to determine whether the dissection process was successful.

Abstract: A method for scanning a sample includes generating at least two illumination points in order to form a point pattern, wherein the point pattern has a settable number of illumination points. At least one freely selectable parameter for defining the point pattern is preset or is set. At least one predefined region of the sample is scanned by moving the point pattern defined by the freely selectable parameter along a first direction such that scan lines assigned to the illumination points of the point pattern are generated, and along a second direction such that further scan lines are generated in each case following the scan lines. The movement of the point pattern in the second direction is carried out in scan steps of identical size or at a constant speed. The illumination points of the point pattern are arranged on a line along the second direction.

Abstract: A light sheet fluorescence microscope includes a light source configured to emit excitation light suitable for inducing fluorescent light emitted from a specimen, a detector configured to detect the fluorescent light from the specimen, and an optical system configured to illuminate the specimen with a light sheet formed from the excitation light, and to guide the fluorescent light from the illuminated specimen to the detector. The optical system includes an objective facing the specimen, the objective being configured to collect the fluorescent light emitted from the specimen. The light source is further configured to emit manipulation light suitable for photomanipulating the specimen. The optical system is further configured to direct the manipulation light through a spatially limited sub-area of an entrance pupil of the objective onto the specimen along a light propagation direction which is different from a light propagation direction of the light sheet.

Abstract: A microscopic transmitted light contrasting method includes illuminating a sample through asymmetrical first and second illumination pupils and imaging the sample through asymmetrical first and second detection pupil in order to generate, respectively, first and second partial images. The first illumination pupil and the first detection pupil, as well as the second illumination pupil and the second detection pupil, are arranged pivoted in relation to one another and partially overlapping in projection on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis in such a way that first and third regions of an angular space are in a bright field and second and fourth regions of the angular space are in a dark field, and the first and second partial images each have a bright and a dark field component. An image of the sample is generated from the first and second partial images.

Abstract: A scanning microscope includes an objective arranged in an illuminating beam path and configured to focus an illuminating light bundle onto a sample. A scanning unit is arranged upstream of the objective in the illuminating beam path and configured to deflect the illuminating light bundle in such a way that the illuminating light bundle focused by the objective executes a scanning movement. A detection unit is arranged in a detection beam path and configured to receive a detection light bundle not deflected by the scanning unit. For spectral influencing of the detection light bundle, the detection unit contains a spectrally selective component which has an active surface with a spectral edge which varies with a location of incidence of the detection light bundle on the active surface. The active surface is arranged in the detection beam path at a location of the image of the objective pupil.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope, such as an oblique plane microscope or a swept confocally-aligned planar excitation (SCAPE) microscope, includes an optical system with a first optical element, a second optical element and a mirror assembly. In a first operational state of the microscope, the optical system is configured to transmit illumination light along a first illumination light path through the first optical element into a first sample volume, and configured to transmit observation light along a first observation light path from the first sample volume to a detector device. In a second operational state of the microscope, the optical system is configured to transmit the illumination light along a second illumination light path via the mirror assembly through the second optical element into a second sample volume, and configured to transmit observation light along a second observation light path from the second sample volume to the detector device.

Abstract: A light microscope includes a scan illumination unit, which is designed to illuminate a specimen having a line focus produced by an illumination light beam and moved transversely to a light propagation direction. A descanned detection unit is designed to produce a stationary first line image of a target region from detection light that originates from a target region of the specimen illuminated with the moving line focus. The scan illumination unit and the descanned detection unit have a common objective, which is designed to receive both the illumination light beam and the detection light. The descanned detection unit contains a dispersive element, which is designed to spectrally split the detection light in order to generate multiple second line images, corresponding to the first line image, with different spectral compositions.

Abstract: A method for driving an acousto-optic element with an acousto-optic crystal and a piezoelectric transducer for setting the acousto-optic crystal in mechanical vibration includes driving the piezoelectric transducer with a drive signal with at least one drive frequency. The at least one drive frequency in alternation takes on a plurality of different values around a center frequency during a passage of a mechanical vibrational wave through the acousto-optic crystal, such that a grating that is produced owing to density fluctuations in the acousto-optic crystal exhibits different grating spacings at the same time.

Abstract: A holder for a microscope slide includes a receiving area that has a first contact surface and a second contact surface opposite the first contact surface, a first counter-surface that at least partially spans the first contact surface, and a second counter-surface that at least partially spans the second contact surface. The receiving area is bounded on three sides by side elements and has an opening on one side for insertion of the microscope slide. At least one pressure element is arranged within the receiving area and configured to exert a restoring force directed towards an interior of the receiving area.

Abstract: An apparatus for baseline estimation in input signal data is configured to retrieve input signal data (I(xi)) and to subtract baseline estimation data (ƒ(xi)) from the input signal data (I(xi)) to compute output signal data. The apparatus is further configured to compute the baseline estimation data (ƒ(xi)) from a convolution using a discrete Green's function (G(xi)).

Abstract: A fluorescence scanning microscope includes excitation and de-excitation light sources, which are designed to generate an excitation and a de-excitation light distribution, respectively. An illumination unit combines the light distributions to form a light distribution scanning over multiple illumination target points of a sample in such a way that an intensity maximum of the excitation light distribution and an intensity minimum of the de-excitation light distribution are spatially superimposed on one another. A detector detects fluorescence photons emitted from the respective illumination target point as a function of their arrival times. A processor evaluates the fluorescence photons with respect to the arrival times, generates a first pixel and a second pixel based thereon, assembles the first and second pixels to form first and second sample images, respectively, and, by means of the two sample images, determines a spatial offset between the intensity maximum and the intensity minimum.

Abstract: A method is useable for determining a refractive index of an optical medium in a microscope, which has an objective facing toward a sample chamber. The optical medium is one of two optical media, which border two opposing surfaces of a cover slip or object carrier in the sample chamber and form two partially reflective interfaces, which are arranged at different distances from the objective. The method includes: deflecting a measurement light beam by the objective with oblique incidence on the cover slip or object carrier; generating two reflection light beams spatially separated from one another by the measurement light beam being partially reflected at each of the interfaces; receiving the two reflection light beams by the objective and conducting them onto a position-sensitive detector; registering intensities by the position-sensitive detector; and determining the refractive index of the optical medium based on the registered intensities.

Abstract: A microscope includes a control system connected to an illumination system and an imaging system. The control system is configured to: detect an image affecting change in microscope settings and/or in a location of the sample, the image affecting change resulting in an alteration of the sample image; cause the imaging system to deliver a live image stream of live images of the sample in a first imaging mode, or to deliver a still image stream of still image(s) of the sample in a second imaging mode, and to switch from the first imaging mode into the second imaging mode when no image affecting change is detected, using one of the last live images of the first imaging mode for at least a part of the still image stream in the second imaging mode; and reduce an illumination intensity of the illumination system during the second imaging mode.