Abstract: A method is useable for correcting a spherical aberration of a microscope having an objective and a cover slip or object carrier, the objective having a correction element for correcting the spherical aberration. The method includes: ascertaining, by the microscope, an index of refraction of an optical medium bordering the cover slip or object carrier and/or a thickness of the cover slip or object carrier along an optical axis of the objective, ascertaining the spherical aberration based on the index of refraction of the optical medium and/or the thickness of the cover slip or object carrier, and ascertaining, based on the spherical aberration, a positioning variable, by which the correction element is adjusted so that the spherical aberration is corrected.

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 method for determining a tilting of a coverslip in a microscope, which has an object lens facing the coverslip, includes defining at least three measuring points which span a plane on a surface of the coverslip. The following steps are carried out for each of the measuring points: directing a measuring light beam through the object lens to the respective measuring point; producing a reflection light beam by at least partial reflection at the respective measuring point; directing the reflection light beam through the object lens onto a position-sensitive sensor and detecting an incidence position thereon; and determining a distance of the respective measuring point from the object lens along an optical axis thereof based on the detected incidence position. Based on the determined distances, a tilting of the plane spanned by the at least three measuring points relative to the optical axis is determined.

Abstract: An apparatus for light-sheet-like light illumination of a sample includes a light source configured to generate an illumination beam. A focusing system is configured to focus the illumination beam to form a light-sheet-like illumination light distribution, with which a focal plane of the sample can be illuminated. An imaging optical unit is configured to image the light-sheet-like illumination light distribution into the focal plane. A polarization element, arranged in a position conjugated to the focal plane between the focusing system and the imaging optical unit, is configured to split the illumination beam into two differently polarized sub-beams, which propagate into the imaging optical unit in different propagation directions, whereby the light-sheet-like illumination light distribution can be imaged by the imaging optical unit in the form of two differently polarized light-sheets, which from a same side of the focal plane are superimposed on each other in the focal plane.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope includes an illumination optical system configured to generate a light sheet in an intermediate image space. A transport optical system, which is telecentric on both sides, is configured to image the light sheet generated in the intermediate image space into a sample and to image a region of the sample illuminated by the light sheet as an intermediate image into the intermediate image space. A detection optical system is configured to image the intermediate image generated in the intermediate image space onto a detector. The optical axes of the illumination optical system, the transport optical system and the detection optical system intersect one another in the intermediate image space. The microscope further includes a scanning element, which is arranged in the transport optical system and through which the light sheet is moveable in the sample transversely to the optical axis of the transport optical system.

Abstract: A microscope includes illumination optics for fluorescence excitation of point light sources of a sample, detection optics and a camera having a sensor. A density of the point light sources is kept low so as to minimize a crossover of point light sources that are behind or close to one another in each image captured by the camera. A means for subdividing a detection aperture into individual sub-apertures is provided in a beam path of the detection optics such that images generated by the individual sub-apertures on the sensor of the camera depict an object volume from different spatial directions.

Abstract: A microscope includes an optical imaging system with an adjustable corrector, a microscope drive, a position sensitive detector, an optical measuring system and a control unit. The optical measuring system configured to form first and second measuring light beams, direct the measuring light beams into an entrance pupil of the optical imaging system eccentrically with first and second distances to the optical axis thereof, receive first and second reflection light beams, and direct the reflection light beams onto the position sensitive detector. The control unit is configured to record positions of the reflection light beams on the position sensitive detector, and determine an aberration based on the recorded positions.

Abstract: An imaging device for a microscope includes an optical imaging system configured to form at least two optical images of an object in at least two different focusing states, and a processor configured to process image information from the at least two optical images in order to obtain phase information that is characteristic of the object being imaged. The optical imaging system comprises an image sensor module having at least two image sensors each being associated with a respective one of the at least two different focusing states. The at least two image sensors are configured to simultaneously detect the at least two optical images for generating the image information. The image sensor module comprises an adjustable aperture element which is controllable by the processor.

Abstract: A method for imaging a sample using a light-sheet microscope includes illuminating the sample from two different illumination directions using two light sheets, which have different polarization states and are superimposed on one another in a coplanar manner in a target region of the sample. An image of the illuminated target region is generated using an imaging optical unit of the light-sheet microscope. An interference pattern is generated using the two light sheets in the illuminated target region, whereby an image modulation corresponding to the interference pattern is applied to the image of the target region. The image modulation is evaluated. The illuminated target region is aligned in dependence on the evaluated image modulation in relation to a focal region of the imaging optical unit.

Abstract: An immersion objective lens for a microscope includes a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having positive refractive power, a third lens group having negative refractive power and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power disposed in this sequence from the object side. The second lens group is moveable along an optical axis so as to achieve a corrective effect with respect to a spherical aberration, such that a sum of a distance between the second lens group and the first lens group and of a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group is constant. The corrective effect of the second lens group is predetermined such that the spherical aberration is minimized for a light incidence that corresponds to a mean numerical aperture that lies between zero and a nominal aperture of the immersion objective lens.

Abstract: An optical scanning microscope includes an illumination system having a light source portion emanating from a light source, first and second polarizing beam splitters, and first and second optical channels disposed between the beam splitters. The light source portion is configured to emit a first illumination light beam comprising light of a first and of a second main polarization direction. The first beam splitter is configured to guide the light of the first and second main polarization direction primarily into the first and channels, respectively. The second beam splitter is configured to form a second illumination light beam from light of the first and second main polarization directions from the first channel and second channels, respectively. The first and second channels are configured to emit the light of the first and second main polarization directions from the first and second channels, respectively, so as to have different convergence angles.

Abstract: A feed device for an immersion medium for use with an objective enabling a specimen to be imaged microscopically includes a cap fitted releasably or fixedly to the objective and delimiting a receptacle space for the immersion medium. The cap has an exit opening aligned with an optical element of the objective facing the specimen. The immersion medium held in the receptacle space is feedable through the exit opening to a target space situated between the optical element of the objective and the specimen. A sensor is integrated in the cap and has an electrode structure configured to detect an amount of the immersion medium fed through the exit opening to the target space. The electrode structure at least partly encloses the exit opening and has a spatial detection region extending away from the exit opening in a radial direction.

Abstract: An immersion objective lens for a microscope includes a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having positive refractive power, a third lens group having negative refractive power and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power disposed in this sequence from the object side. The second lens group is moveable along an optical axis so as to achieve a corrective effect with respect to a spherical aberration, such that a sum of a distance between the second lens group and the first lens group and of a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group is constant. The corrective effect of the second lens group is predetermined such that the spherical aberration is minimized for a light incidence that corresponds to a mean numerical aperture that lies between zero and a nominal aperture of the immersion objective lens.

Abstract: A fan arrangement includes a fan and toothed ring, and a converter motor includes a fan arrangement. The fan includes a base body on which fan blades are premolded, and the fan includes an annular region, which is premolded on the side of the fan blades facing away from the base body. The toothed ring is situated within the annular region, and thus, in particular, is set apart from the base body, and thus, in particular, is set apart from the base body via the fan blades.

Abstract: A fluorescence microscope has an incident fluorescence illumination unit generating an incident fluorescence illumination beam path a multi-band fluorescence filter system encompassing a multi-band beam splitter for deflecting the incident fluorescence illumination beam path into an objective of the microscope and onto a specimen. The filter system has a multi-band blocking filter that at least partly transmits a fluorescence emission beam path proceeding from the specimen; and having a digital camera for generating a fluorescence image of the specimen. The microscope has a bright-field transmitted illumination unit for generating a bright-field transmitted illumination beam path for transmitted illumination of the specimen. The filter system is arranged fixedly so that upon acquisition of a bright-field image of the specimen, the system remains in a bright-field transmitted light beam path proceeding from the specimen.

Abstract: A microscope system includes a light sheet microscopic functional unit that illuminates and images a sample in a first operating state with a light sheet-like illumination light distribution, and a scanning microscopic functional unit that illuminates and images the sample in a second operating state with a point-like illumination light distribution. A first scanning element uniaxially scans the sample, in the first operating state, with the light sheet-like illumination light distribution, and uniaxially scans the sample, in the second operating state, with the point-like illumination light distribution. A second scanning element uniaxially scans the sample, in the second operating state, with the point-like illumination light distribution, such that, in the second operating state, the second scanning element generates together with the first scanning element a biaxial scanning of the sample with the point-like illumination light distribution.

Abstract: A microscope includes illumination optics for fluorescence excitation of point light sources of a sample, detection optics and a camera having a sensor. A density of the point light sources is kept low so as to minimize a crossover of point light sources that are behind or close to one another in each image captured by the camera. A means for subdividing a detection aperture into individual sub-apertures is provided in a beam path of the detection optics such that images generated by the individual sub-apertures on the sensor of the camera depict an object volume from different spatial directions.

Abstract: An oblique plane microscope includes a detection optical unit having an image sensor which has a sensor surface formed from sensor lines arranged in parallel, and a transport optical unit having an objective arranged for specimen illumination by a light sheet tilted relative to an optical axis of the transport optical unit and for imaging a specimen plane illuminated with the light sheet onto the sensor surface. An optical axis of the detection optical unit is tilted relative to the optical axis of the transport optical unit. The sensor lines each extend in an orthogonal direction with respect to the optical axis of the transport optical unit. The detection optical unit has an anamorphic magnification system. A magnification of an anamorphic magnification system of the detection optical unit, in a direction lying orthogonal to the sensor lines, is less than in a direction lying parallel to the sensor lines.

Abstract: A method for microscopically imaging a volume sample includes focusing a microscope objective having a correcting element successively in at least two reference planes which are located within the volume sample at different volume sample depths along the optical axis of the microscope objective; determining, for each reference plane, a reference setting of the correcting element in which an imaging error which is dependent upon the volume sample depth is corrected by the correcting element; determining, on the basis of the reference settings determined for at least one target plane in the volume sample, a target setting for the correcting element in which the imaging error occurring at the volume sample depth of the target plane is corrected by the correcting element; and focusing the microscope objective on the target plane and bringing the correcting element into the target setting in order to image the volume sample.

Abstract: An apparatus for light-sheet-like light illumination of a sample includes a light source configured to generate an illumination beam. A focusing system is configured to focus the illumination beam to form a light-sheet-like illumination light distribution, with which a focal plane of the sample can be illuminated. An imaging optical unit is configured to image the light-sheet-like illumination light distribution into the focal plane. A polarization element, arranged in a position conjugated to the focal plane between the focusing system and the imaging optical unit, is configured to split the illumination beam into two differently polarized sub-beams, which propagate into the imaging optical unit in different propagation directions, whereby the light-sheet-like illumination light distribution can be imaged by the imaging optical unit in the form of two differently polarized light-sheets, which from a same side of the focal plane are superimposed on each other in the focal plane.