Abstract: A two-photon excited fluorescence microscope including a laser source configured to emit a light beam and an optical arrangement configured to receive the light beam from the laser source. The optical arrangement is configured to shape the light beam so that, at an output of the microscope, the light beam is substantially collimated in a first transverse direction perpendicular to the propagation direction of the light beam at the microscope output and is focused in a second transverse direction perpendicular to the first transverse direction and to the propagation direction, thereby forming a line parallel to the first transverse direction.