Abstract: A Z-axis focusing mechanism having a scanner and a prism whose front and rear faces are not normal to the direction of travel of a light beam prior to the light beam impinging upon the front face of the scanner. The scanner and the prism are oriented with respect to one another such that when a light beam is scanned onto the front face of the prism, a scanned beam having varying Z-axis focus points at distinct lateral locations exits the rear face of the scanner. Alternatively, the rear face of the prism may be normal to the light beam as it passes through the prism, which generates a retro-reflected, scanned light beam that exits the front of the prism.

Abstract: A Z-axis focusing mechanism having a scanner and a prism whose front and rear faces are not normal to the direction of travel of a light beam prior to the light beam impinging upon the front face of the scanner. The scanner and the prism are oriented with respect to one another such that when a light beam is scanned onto the front face of the prism, a scanned beam having varying Z-axis focus points at distinct lateral locations exits the rear face of the scanner.

Abstract: Described is a scanning microscope that includes at least two scanners disposed in series within an excitation beam, wherein one of the scanners is a two-axis galvanometer-controlled scanner, and the other of the scanners is a single-axis resonant scanner. The device may also include a spatial detection system disposed within the excitation beam at a point downstream of the at least two scanners, wherein the spatial detection system is configured to detect a sum of deflections generated by the at least two scanners, or to detect angular differences in the excitation beam when two or more illumination sources are used.

Abstract: Disclosed are microscopes, preferably confocal microscopes, that include aperture plates having one or more arrays of apertures defined therein. The aperture plate is disposed in a position within an incoming light beam such that the incoming light beam is spatially filtered as it passes through the array of apertures. In certain embodiments of the invention, the aperture plate is fixed and immovable, in others, the aperture plate is translatable within a plane of confocality.

Abstract: Disclosed are microscopes, preferably confocal microscopes, that include aperture plates having one or more arrays of apertures defined therein. The aperture plate is disposed in a position within an incoming light beam such that the incoming light beam is spatially filtered as it passes through the array of apertures. In certain embodiments of the invention, the aperture plate is fixed and immovable, in others, the aperture plate is translatable within a plane of confocality.