Abstract: Optical microscopy of biological specimens, particularly live cells, is difficult as they generally lack sufficient contrast to be studied successfully as typically the internal structures of the cell are colorless and transparent. Commonly, contrast is increased by staining the different structures with selective dyes, but this involves killing and fixing the sample. Staining may also introduce artifacts, apparent structural details caused by the processing of the specimen and are thus not a legitimate feature of the specimen. Further, microscopy of different elements of these biological specimens typically requires multiple microscopy techniques on multiple specimens. According to embodiments of the invention simultaneous imaging techniques are applied to a biological specimen such as fluorescent imaging and dark field imaging by designing an experimental evaluation system and associated illumination system addressing the conflicting demands of these approaches.

Abstract: Optical microscopy of biological specimens, particularly live cells, is difficult as they generally lack sufficient contrast to be studied successfully as typically the internal structures of the cell are colourless and transparent. Commonly, contrast is increased by staining the different structures with selective dyes, but this involves killing and fixing the sample. Staining may also introduce artifacts, apparent structural details caused by the processing of the specimen and are thus not a legitimate feature of the specimen. Further, microscopy of different elements of these biological specimens typically requires multiple microscopy techniques on multiple specimens. According to embodiments of the invention simultaneous imaging techniques are applied to a biological specimen such as fluorescent imaging and dark field imaging by designing an experimental evaluation system and associated illumination system addressing the conflicting demands of these approaches.

Abstract: Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) allow forces within systems under observation to be probed from the piconewton forces of a single covalent bond to the forces exerted by cells in the micronewton range. The pendulum geometry prevents the snap-to-contact problem afflicting soft cantilevers in AFMs which enable attonewton force sensitivity. However, the microscopic length scale studies of cellular/subcellular forces parallel to the imaging plane of an optical microscope requires high sensitivity force measurements at high sampling frequencies despite the difficulties of implementing the pendulum geometry from constraints imposed by the focused incoming/outgoing light interfering with the sample surface. Additionally measurement systems for biological tissue samples in vitro must satisfy complex physical constraints to provide access to the vertical cantilever.

Abstract: Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs) allow forces within systems under observation to be probed from the piconewton forces of a single covalent bond to the forces exerted by cells in the micronewton range. The pendulum geometry prevents the snap-to-contact problem afflicting soft cantilevers in AFMs which enable attonewton force sensitivity. However, the microscopic length scale studies of cellular/subcellular forces parallel to the imaging plane of an optical microscope requires high sensitivity force measurements at high sampling frequencies despite the difficulties of implementing the pendulum geometry from constraints imposed by the focused incoming/outgoing light interfering with the sample surface. Additionally measurement systems for biological tissue samples in vitro must satisfy complex physical constraints to provide access to the vertical cantilever.