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 light sheet microscope or a confocal microscope includes illumination optics configured to transmit light of at least two wavelengths from at least one light source, along respective wavelength-dependent beam paths, from an illumination side of the illumination optics to a specimen side of the illumination optics. A lateral chromatic correction system comprising at least one optical lateral chromatic correction element is configured such that the beam paths of the at least two different wavelengths have, at a specimen-side output of the lateral chromatic correction element, an offset parallel to each other and/or are inclined relative to each other in relation to the illumination side, which, on the specimen side of the illumination optics, results in an offset of the foci of the at least two wavelengths transverse to an optical axis of the illumination optics.

Abstract: A method for generating a control signal for an acousto-optical element includes generating a raw signal using at least one correction term by an IQ modulation from a target I component and a target Q component, and amplifying the raw signal to become the control signal. The target I component and/or the target Q component are corrected using the at least one correction term. The at least one correction term is obtained from an analysis of the control signal.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for a microscope, for producing a de-excitation or switching light distribution, includes a light source configured to produce a primary illumination light beam and a beam splitter configured to divide the primary illumination light beam into two partial illumination light beams. An illumination objective is configured to focus the partial illumination light beams onto and/or into a sample such that the partial illumination light beams extend, spatially separated from one another, through an entry pupil of the illumination objective and are spatially superposed on and/or in the sample after passing through the illumination objective. A phase influencer is configured to cause a relative phase offset of the partial illumination light beams with respect to one another in such a way that the partial illumination light beams in the entry pupil of the illumination objective have a phase offset of ?.

Abstract: A device is configured to carry out a method for examining a sample comprising: illuminating the sample in an illumination plane along an illumination strip by an illuminating light beam which propagates along the illumination strip, wherein the illuminating light beam is formed as a light sheet; projecting the illumination strip into a detection plane by detection light originating from the illumination strip being focused in the detection plane; and detecting the detection light by a detector. The detector is formed as a slit detector.

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 microscope control unit includes at least one connection which is connectable to one or more electrically addressable microscope components or other electrically controllable components. At least one connection parameter of the at least one connection is programmatically configurable. At least one script with script commands is provided on the microscope control unit. At least one terminal is addressable by the script commands.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope includes an illuminator having a beam source which is designed to direct an illuminating beam propagating along an illumination axis onto a sample. A light-sheet generator is designed to generate a light-sheet-type illuminating light distribution illuminating the sample in one partial region. A detection unit has a detector that is designed to capture detection light originating from the section of the sample that is illuminated by the illuminating light distribution. An objective is provided for both the illuminator and the detection unit such that the objective is to be penetrated by the illuminating beam and the detection light. The illuminator has a beam modulator designed to modulate the illuminating beam perpendicular to the illumination axis.

Abstract: A method for the examination of a sample includes illuminating the sample 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 with the illuminating light beam. Part of fluorescent light emanating from the sample plane is detected as detection light originating from a first subregion of the overlap region, in which the probability of an interaction of the sample molecules with the depletion or switching light beam is greater than 90%, and/or originating from a second subregion which is at least partially surrounded by the first sub-region and/or in which the depletion or switching light beam has a zero point, while at the same time the fluorescent light originating from outside the first subregion and the second subregion is suppressed and not detected.

Abstract: A Mirau interference objective includes an objective lens and a splitter element arranged between the objective lens and an object to be examined. The splitter element is configured to split an incident light beam into a sample beam path and a reference beam path. The objective lens is configured to focus the sample beam path on the object to be examined. A mirror element is arranged between the splitter element and the objective lens. The mirror element is configured to reflect the reference beam path. A phase shift compensating element is configured to compensate for a wavelength-dependent phase shift between the reference beam path and the sample beam path which is superposed on the reference beam path.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope for simultaneous imaging of several object planes illuminated by a light sheet includes a camera and a detection optic defining a detection light beam between the light sheet and the camera. The object planes are arranged around the focal plane of the detection optic. The detection optic can include a microlens array.

Abstract: An illumination arrangement for a light sheet microscope, in which a sample is illuminated using an illumination light beam that is formed as a light sheet in a region of the sample, includes an illumination objective, a tube lens and astigmatic optics. The astigmatic optics are designed in such a way and arranged between the tube lens and the illumination objective in such a way that the illumination light beam exiting from the illumination objective is focused both in a sagittal plane and in a meridional plane.

Abstract: A method for counting photons using a photomultiplier includes obtaining a measurement signal from a raw signal produced by the photomultiplier by correcting the raw signal for a noise signal and/or an offset, wherein an incident photon produces a pulse in the raw signal. The measurement signal is integrated over time to form an analog integrated measurement signal. A number of photons that are incident in the photomultiplier is ascertained by comparing a value of the analog integrated measurement signal to an integral proportionality value which corresponds to a specific number of photons incident in the photomultiplier.

Abstract: A method forms a digital value from a clock signal and a digital data signal. The method includes sampling the clock signal in order to obtain a clock signal digital value sequence and sampling the digital data signal in order to obtain a data signal digital value sequence. Sampling points are ascertained from the clock signal digital value sequence, at which data signal digital values are extracted from the data signal digital value sequence. The digital value is formed from the data signal digital values.