Abstract: An optical assembly includes a lens unit capable of being moved along an optical axis of the optical assembly. The lens unit includes a lens mount for holding at least one lens. The optical assembly further includes a sleeve for receiving the lens mount. The lens mount is in sliding contact with and movable in relation to the sleeve as the lens unit is moved along the optical axis. The lens mount is formed of or comprises at its outer surface a self-lubricating material, and/or the sleeve is formed of or comprises at its inner surface a self-lubricating material.

Abstract: A microscope for fluorescence light imaging includes an illumination device configured to direct excitation light along an excitation beam path into a sample, and a detection device configured to detect fluorescence light emanating from the sample along a detection beam path which is located in a same hemisphere relative to the sample as the excitation beam path, wherein the illumination device includes a light guiding system configured to guide the excitation light such that, in phase space defined by position and angle of a light beam, a support of the excitation beam path is disjunct from a support of the detection beam path, and wherein the detection device includes at least one emission filter configured to allow the fluorescence light propagating along the detection beam path to be detected for fluorescence light imaging while discarding light that is spectrally different from the fluorescence light.

Abstract: An oblique plane microscope has an objective illuminating a plane of the sample and collecting detection light. A beam splitting system splits the collected detection light into two detection light bundles along two optical paths, respectively. A first intermediate imaging system generates a first intermediate image of the plane in a first intermediate image space. The first intermediate imaging system has a first objective and a first reflecting element in the first intermediate image space and reflecting the first detection light bundle into the first objective. A second intermediate imaging system generates a second intermediate image of the plane in a second intermediate image space. The second intermediate imaging system has a second objective and a second reflecting element positioned in the second intermediate image space and reflecting the second detection light bundle into the second objective. A detection system detects the detection light bundles reflected into the objectives.

Abstract: A method for automatically ascertaining illumination brightnesses to be adjusted of at least two light sources for exciting at least one respective fluorophore in a sample to be imaged in a fluorescence microscope includes separately controlling, in terms of illumination brightness, each of the at least two light sources, detecting an image intensity of a microscopically imaged sample with at least two detectors, and automatically ascertaining the illumination brightnesses to be adjusted of the at least two light sources in such a way that a predefined setpoint of a signal-to-noise ratio is reached for each fluorophore. In order to ascertain the illumination brightnesses of the at least two light sources, cross-talk of a detector for different emission spectra of the fluorophores and/or cross-excitation of a fluorophore for different illumination spectra of the light sources are/is taken into account.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a mixed fluorescence response of a plurality of fluorophores in a microscopic sample includes reconstructing individual fluorescence responses from a mixed fluorescence response using spectral un-mixing based on reference emission spectra for fluorophores to be reconstructed, and a procedure for determining and validating reference emission spectra including providing a plurality of image acquisition settings for a sequence of images of the sample equal to, or greater than, the plurality of fluorophores and including an illumination setting for each image, acquiring the sequence of images using the plurality of image acquisition settings and storing each image together with the corresponding illumination setting, determining candidate reference emission spectra for the fluorophores to be reconstructed from the sequence of images of the sample using one or more reference emission spectra determination algorithms, and conditionally using the candidate reference emission spectra as the refe

Abstract: A fluorescence microscope system for imaging a sample having at least two different fluorophores includes an illumination system configured to emit illumination light for exciting the fluorophores; an optical detection system configured to generate images of the sample based on fluorescence light emitted by the excited fluorophores; and a control unit configured to determine whether to image the sample in a concurrent imaging mode or in a sequential imaging mode, based on at least one characteristic of each of the fluorophores and based on at least one parameter of the optical detection system and/or the illumination system. In the concurrent imaging mode, the fluorophores are imaged simultaneously, and in the sequential imaging mode, the fluorophores are divided into a first group and at least one second group, and fluorophores of the first group and the at least one second group are imaged subsequently.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes a lens unit capable of being moved along an optical axis of the optical assembly. The lens unit includes a lens mount for holding at least one lens. The optical assembly further includes a sleeve for receiving the lens mount. The lens mount is in sliding contact with and movable in relation to the sleeve as the lens unit is moved along the optical axis. The lens mount is formed of or comprises at its outer surface a self-lubricating material, and/or the sleeve is formed of or comprises at its inner surface a self-lubricating material.

Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing an input phase distribution (I(xi)) is configured to retrieve the input phase distribution (I(xi)) and compute a baseline estimate (ƒ(xi)) as an estimate of a baseline (I2 (xi)) in the input phase distribution (I(xi)). The apparatus is further configured to obtain an output phase distribution (O(xi)) based on the baseline estimate (ƒ(xi)) and the input phase distribution (I(xi)).

Abstract: An oblique plane microscope has an objective illuminating a plane of the sample and collecting detection light. A beam splitting system splits the collected detection light into two detection light bundles along two optical paths, respectively. A first intermediate imaging system generates a first intermediate image of the plane in a first intermediate image space. The first intermediate imaging system has a first objective and a first reflecting element in the first intermediate image space and reflecting the first detection light bundle into the first objective. A second intermediate imaging system generates a second intermediate image of the plane in a second intermediate image space. The second intermediate imaging system has a second objective and a second reflecting element positioned in the second intermediate image space and reflecting the second detection light bundle into the second objective. A detection system detects the detection light bundles reflected into the objectives.

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 in a microscope with oblique illumination includes illuminating an object by an illumination beam path that is obliquely incident on an object plane of the microscope. A microscopic image of the object and a corresponding digital image signal are produced. The digital image signal is processed by digital image processing using a convolution kernel to increase contrast. An increased-contrast digital image is produced from the processed digital image signal.

Abstract: A microscope for examining a sample in phase contrast transmitted light illumination and/or in fluorescence reflected light illumination includes a phase contrast transmitted light illumination device, a fluorescence reflected light illumination device and an objective with a phase ring. The phase contrast transmitted light illumination device comprises a transmitted light illumination source and a transmitted light illumination optical unit with a ring stop. The ring stop comprises a light-opaque inner stop region which is surrounded by an at least partly light-transmissive ring-shaped region. The fluorescence reflected light illumination device comprises a reflected light illumination source and a reflected light illumination optical unit. A fluorescence reflected light illumination beam path produced by the fluorescence reflected light illumination device will lie, in terms of its cross section, within the inner stop region of the ring stop o after passing through an object plane of the microscope.

Abstract: A method for imaging in a microscope with oblique illumination includes illuminating an object by an illumination beam path that is obliquely incident on an object plane of the microscope. A microscopic image of the object and a corresponding digital image signal are produced. The digital image signal is processed by digital image processing using a convolution kernel to increase contrast. An increased-contrast digital image is produced from the processed digital image signal.

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 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.