Abstract: Light sheet microscope for recording 3D images of a specimen, comprising a light sheet generator, an objective lens, an image detector and a wavefront encoder element or system positioned between the objective lens and the image detector for extending the depth of field of the objective lens. By doing so, the restriction on the distance between the collecting objective and the light sheet is relaxed, allowing the use of a light sheet scanning unit. The resulting light sheet microscope allows for a robust, aberration insensitive, fast 3D imaging without the need to move or perturb the specimen.

Abstract: A STED microscope for producing a 3D image. The microscope has an excitation laser source for providing an excitation laser beam and a depletion laser source for providing stimulated emission depletion laser beam. The excitation beam is capable of exciting fluorescent markers in a sample placed in the sample region and the depletion beam is capable of inducing stimulated emission in the fluorescent marker in the sample in a region around the excitation beam to restrict the size of the region within which the fluorescent markers are excited and wherein the depletion laser source goes through an optical element which creates a cone refractive pattern which induces stimulated emission in the fluorescent marker in the sample. The shape of the light hollow of the cone refractive pattern varies at different distances from the source. This depth profile can be used to distinguish between positions at varying depths within a sample to create a 3D image.

Abstract: Light sheet microscope for recording 3D images of a specimen, comprising a light sheet generator, an objective lens, an image detector and a wavefront encoder element or system positioned between the objective lens and the image detector for extending the depth of field of the objective lens. By doing so, the restriction on the distance between the collecting objective and the light sheet is relaxed, allowing the use of a light sheet scanning unit. The resulting light sheet microscope allows for a robust, aberration insensitive, fast 3D imaging without the need to move or perturb the specimen.

Abstract: A STED microscope for producing a 3D image. The microscope has an excitation laser source for providing an excitation laser beam and a depletion laser source for providing stimulated emission depletion laser beam. The excitation beam is capable of exciting fluorescent markers in a sample placed in the sample region and the depletion beam is capable of inducing stimulated emission in the fluorescent marker in the sample in a region around the excitation beam to restrict the size of the region within which the fluorescent markers are excited and wherein the depletion laser source goes through an optical element which creates a cone refractive pattern which induces stimulated emission in the fluorescent marker in the sample. The shape of the light hollow of the cone refractive pattern varies at different distances from the source. This depth profile can be used to distinguish between positions at varying depths within a sample to create a 3D image.