Abstract: A device and a method for acquiring a microscopic image of a sample structure are described. An optic for imaging the sample structure and a reference structure is provided, as well as a drift sensing unit for sensing a drift of the sample structure relative to the optic on the basis of the imaged reference structure. The optic comprises a first sharpness plane for imaging the sample structure and at the same time a second sharpness plane, modifiable in location relative to the first sharpness plane, for imaging the reference structure.

Abstract: A microscope includes a light source(s) which produce an illumination beam path comprising light in a plurality of wavelength regions. A dichroic beam splitter arrangement having a dichroic mirror surface is arranged between objective optics and a tube lens in a beam path portion to produce a reflected partial beam and a transmitted partial beam. The beam splitter arrangement changes a propagation direction of the reflected partial beam relative to the illumination beam path by a specified deflection angle. The mirror surface is arranged at an angle of 22.5±7.5°. The beam splitter arrangement includes a further mirror(s) arranged in the reflected beam path. The propagation direction of the reflected partial beam is changed by the specified deflection angle using the sum of all reflections on the mirror surface and the further mirror(s).

Abstract: A widefield microscope illumination system and method with a microscope objective and an illumination light source that sends widefield illumination light along illumination beam paths. Illumination light penetrates into the microscope objective through illumination light entry sites located within a predetermined annular or annular-segment-shaped illumination light entry area having a large offset to an optical objective axis of the objective. A spatially resolving light detector detects light sent from an illuminated sample through the microscope objective along a detected light beam path. An automatic illumination light beam path manipulation device is controlled by a control system, which is arranged in front of the microscope objective in relation to the direction of the illumination light beam path, and by means of which illumination light beam path manipulation device the illumination axes are automatically movable at time intervals to a plurality of different illumination light entry sites.

Abstract: A method for autofocusing in microscopic examination of a specimen located at the focus of a microscope objective uses an autofocus beam path, the autofocus beam path being directed, via a deflection device arranged on the side of the microscope objective facing away from the specimen, toward the microscope objective, and from there onto a reflective autofocus interface in the specimen region. The autofocus beam path is reflected at the autofocus interface and directed via the microscope objective and the deflection device toward an autofocus detector. The deflection device comprises two regions spaced apart from one another in a propagation direction of the autofocus beam path. Each region reflects the autofocus beam path. The autofocus detector is arranged in a plane conjugated with the microscope objective pupil to acquire an interference pattern. The focus of the microscope is adjusted as a function of the acquired interference pattern.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for central computer controlled execution of at least one test run in a scanning microscope, particularly a confocal microscope, wherein at least one first software module of an application software is tested. The invention achieves the aim by a network made of individual scanning microscope clients and a central server. The clients can be contacted via a network interface and are administered in a central directory in the server. The application software for the individual components of a scanning microscope is made of individual software modules, each associated with a potential test. In order to be able to perform the various tests, the scanning microscope clients have been equipped on the hardware side with additional sensors and components that allow various operating parameters to be determined.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a confocal laser scanning microscope (100) having an illumination device (1) that comprises a laser light source (41) that is configured to illuminate a sample (25), and a control application circuit (40) for the laser light source (1) which is configured to output a pulsed control application signal (48) in order to supply the laser light source (41), the control application circuit (40) being configured so that it determines both a pulse amplitude (A) and a pulse width (W) of at least one pulse of the pulsed control application signal (48) as a function of at least one input variable (S).

Abstract: A laser microdissection includes a microscope having an incident-light device, a microscope objective, and a laser unit operable to produce a laser beam having a beam path extending through the incident-light device and through the microscope objective and intersecting an object plane of the microscope objective at an adjustable intersection point. The laser microdissection systems further includes an electrophoresis unit located below the object plane and containing an electrophoresis gel including one or more gel pockets, and a positioning device operable to position the electrophoresis gel in parallel with the object plane of the microscope objective and relative to a defined reference position such that dissectates of a sample that can be arranged in the object plane can be collected in the one or more gel pockets. The electrophoresis unit is operable to be attached by a coupling device. The dissectates are obtained via the laser beam.

Abstract: A microscope immersion objective having a numerical aperture of NA>1.36 includes a front lens group. The front lens group has a first, object-side optical element having a plane parallel plate and a second optical element having a hyper-hemisphere. The plane parallel plate is wrung together with a planar side of the hyper-hemisphere.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for examining a sample. The apparatus has a light source for generating excitation light in pulses which occur in succession at an excitation pulse frequency, for illuminating a sample region with the excitation pulse, and having a detector for detecting the detection light emanating from the sample region. The apparatus is characterized in that, for each detected photon of the detection light, the detector generates an electrical pulse and thereby a sequence of electrical pulses, and an analog-digital converter is provided that generates a digital data sequence by sampling the sequence of electrical pulses at a sampling rate.

Abstract: A method for increasing the optical transparency of regions of a tissue sample (1) is proposed, in which the tissue sample (1) is introduced into a process chamber (10) and is infiltrated in the process chamber (10) with at least one process fluid (2), and in which a removal of light-scattering structures in the tissue sample (1) is carried out. The method encompasses monitoring the optical transparency of the tissue sample (1), at least during a clearing time period in which the tissue sample (1) is introduced into the process chamber (10) and in which the removal of the light-scattering structures in the tissue sample (1) is carried out, by means of an optical transparency measuring arrangement (13) associated with the process chamber (10). An apparatus (100) for carrying out the method is also a subject of the invention.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a retainer (100) for sample carriers (P1-P4) of different shapes and sizes. The retainer includes a retaining plane (110) for receiving the sample carrier; at least three respectively movably mounted stop elements (120), each of the stop elements (120) having at least one stop surface (121) which is embodied to be adjusted, by movement of the stop element (120), against the sample carrier (P1-P4); at least three securing elements (125), a securing element (125) being associated with each of the at least three stop elements (120); each of the at least three securing elements (125) configured to secure the associated stop element (120) immovably on the retainer, and configured to be conveyable into a first position in which the associated stop element (120) is movable, and to be conveyable into a second position in which the associated stop element is secured immovably on the retainer.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a laser deflection device in a reflected light device of a microscope of a laser inictodissection system having a digital image capturing unit comprising an image evaluation module includes generating a laser beam; guiding the laser beam through a microscope objective; directing the laser beam to a position defined by actuation sinals; placing a calibration object in the object plane of the microscope objective; actuating the laser deflection device using first actuation signais and first calibration values, making at least one calibration mark on the calibration object; capturing an image ofthe calibration object by the digital image capturing unit; determining actual position values for the at least one calibration mark; and determining second calibration values based on a relationship between the default position values and the actual position values.

Abstract: A changing apparatus for a microscope (10) comprises a carrying body (50, 150, 250, 350) supported rotatably around a rotation axis (R), having a first coupling part (52), and at least one optical element (100, 200, 300, 400) having a second coupling part (102) that is couplable to the first coupling part (52) for releasable mounting of the optical element (100, 200, 300, 400) on the carrying body (50, 150, 250, 350). The first coupling part (52) comprises a first mechanical coding structure (56) and the second coupling part (102) comprises a second mechanical coding structure (104) that, in a predetermined installation alignment toward the first coding structure (56), is complementary thereto and, in that installation alignment, is placeable onto the first coding structure (56) perpendicularly to the rotation axis (R) of the carrying body (50, 150, 250, 350).

Abstract: A sequence of individual images is acquired by imaging the sample through imaging optics onto an image sensor. For the acquisition of each individual image, the sample is provided with a marker pattern, in which individual markers can be imaged in the form of spatially separable light distributions through the imaging onto the image sensor. The centroid positions of the light distributions are determined and superimposed to form a complete image of the sample. According to the present invention, an image-drift-inducing temperature value (?T1, ?T2, . . . , ?Tn) is measured during the acquisition of the sequence of individual images. A temperature-dependent drift value (?X1, ?X2, . . . , ?Xn; ?Y1, ?Y2, . . . , ?Yn) is correlated to the image-drift-inducing temperature value (?T1, ?T2, . . . , ?Tn) based on predetermined correlation data. The determined centroid positions are corrected based on the drift value (?X1, ?X2, . . . , ?Xn; ?Y1, ?Y2, . . . , ?Yn).

Abstract: In order to identify scan coordinate values (?n, ?n) for operating a scanning unit (28) of a confocal scanning microscope (20), spherical scan coordinate values (?n, ?n) are identified, as a function of Cartesian image coordinates (Xn, Yn) of image points of an image (60) to be created of a sample (32), with the aid of a coordinate transformation of the Cartesian image coordinate values (Xn, Yn) into a spherical coordinate system. The scanning unit (28) is operated as a function of the spherical scan coordinate values (?n, ?n).

Abstract: A microscope for fluorescence imaging microscopy, in particular for wide-field fluorescence microscopy, including a pulsed light source (1) and an imaging detector (11), is characterized in that means for gating are provided, and in that the gating causes the light source (1) and the detector (11) to be synchronized in order to suppress reflected/scattered light such that suitable fluorescence components are used for evaluation and unsuitable components are rejected. Furthermore, a method is used to perform fluorescence imaging microscopy using the microscope according to the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for illuminating a sample (10) in a microscope (26), the sample (10) being analysed in transmitted light bright field illumination or in incident light fluorescence illumination, wherein a white light LED (4) is used as the light source for the transmitted light bright field illumination, and a shutter (6) is activated at a location in the illumination beam path of the transmitted light bright field illumination during incident light fluorescence illumination and this shutter (6) is deactivated during transmitted light bright field illumination.

Abstract: A device for holding filters for a microscope includes a filter wheel (20) rotatable about an axis of rotation (16) and a drive unit (14) for rotating the filter wheel (20). The filter wheel (20) comprises a basic body (44) rotatable about the axis of rotation (16) and at least one segment (46-54) selectively connectable to the basic body. The segment (46-54) comprises at least two housing areas (58, 59) each holding at least one filter (11). Another housing area may provide a transmission range (36, 59) for unfiltered transmission of light. A second rotatable filter wheel may be arranged at a location displaced along the axis of rotation relative to the filter wheel, and may have its own respective transmission range for unfiltered transmission of light, whereby a filter on either filter wheel may be aligned with the transmission range on the other filter wheel.

Abstract: A specimen slide (100) having a sample region (101) in which a sample (200) that can be investigated microscopically can be arranged, and that comprises reference points (A-Z, 1-24, a-j, ?-?) arranged at least in the sample region (101), is proposed. The reference points (A-Z, 1-24, a-j, ?-?) are embodied in such a way that on the basis of an identification of at least a stipulated number of reference points (A-Z, 1-24, a-j, ?-?) in an arbitrary sub-region (102) of the sample region (101), the position of the arbitrary sub-region (102), and/or at least one position therein, on the specimen slide (100) can be unequivocally determined A method for determining and/or retrieving a position on a corresponding specimen slide, and a corresponding sample investigation system, are likewise subjects of the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope illumination method, to a microscope illumination set, comprising a white light LED (4) and a correction filter (6), and to a corresponding microscope system (1) for analyzing a sample (10) alternately or simultaneously in transmitted light bright field illumination and in incident light fluorescence illumination, wherein a white light LED (4) is used for the transmitted light bright field illumination, and a correction filter (6) is activated at a location in the illumination beam path of the transmitted light bright field illumination both during transmitted light bright field illumination and during incident light fluorescence illumination, wherein the correction filter (6) has a spectral transmission profile which has a minimum in the wavelength range of at least one maximum of the spectrum of the white light LED (4).