Abstract: An exemplary imaging system is provided. The imaging system includes a light source configured to illuminate a plurality of spatially separated regions of a material structure producing a first illumination. A lens produces an image of the spatially separated regions. A lens array magnifies the spatially separated regions of the image. The lens array produces a mosaic image comprised of magnified subimages of each region spatially separated region. A camera sensor to record the image.

Abstract: A Multi-Z confocal microscopy system can simultaneously record from multiple Z-sections, and thus performs high speed volumetric imaging. An illumination line can be formed by under-filling the illumination beam in the aperture of the microscope objective. The illumination line extends in the Z dimension into the target sample to be imaged and an X-Y scanning mechanism can be used to scan the illumination line over the sample. The detection signal emanating from the scanned sample can be collected through the full numerical aperture of the microscope objective and directed to a detector subsystem. The detector subsystem includes an array of reflecting pinhole detectors and each reflecting pinhole detector is configured to image a volume at a different depth in the sample. This configuration enables reflecting pinhole detector array to image more than one depth volume at the same time.

Abstract: A Multi-Z confocal microscopy system can simultaneously record from multiple Z-sections, and thus performs high speed volumetric imaging. An illumination line can be formed by under-filling the illumination beam in the aperture of the microscope objective. The illumination line extends in the Z dimension into the target sample to be imaged and an X-Y scanning mechanism can be used to scan the illumination line over the sample. The detection signal emanating from the scanned sample can be collected through the full numerical aperture of the microscope objective and directed to a detector subsystem. The detector subsystem includes an array of reflecting pinhole detectors and each reflecting pinhole detector is configured to image a volume at a different depth in the sample. This configuration enables reflecting pinhole detector array to image more than one depth volume at the same time.

Abstract: A system and method for correction of aberrations in a solid immersion microscopy system using a deformable mirror. A solid immersion lens is provided having a surface configured to make optical contact with a nearly planar surface of a substrate, an object to be imaged disposed on the opposite side of the substrate. A convex surface of the solid immersion lens faces an objective lens. A deformable mirror assembly, including a plurality of individually controllable actuators, receives light transmitted from the object. A control system controls in communication with the deformable mirror assembly provides individual actuation of each of the actuators of the deformable mirror to compensate or counteract the effects of aberrations.

Abstract: A system and method for correction of aberrations in a solid immersion microscopy system using a deformable mirror. A solid immersion lens is provided having a surface configured to make optical contact with a nearly planar surface of a substrate, an object to be imaged disposed on the opposite side of the substrate. A convex surface of the solid immersion lens faces an objective lens. A deformable mirror assembly, including a plurality of individually controllable actuators, receives light transmitted from the object. A control system controls in communication with the deformable mirror assembly provides individual actuation of each of the actuators of the deformable mirror to compensate or counteract the effects of aberrations.

Abstract: A first image data set of the real-world object is received at a processor where the real-world object was illuminated with substantially uniform illumination. A second image data set of the real-world object is received at the processor where the real-world object was illuminated with substantially structured illumination. A high pass filter is applied to the first-image data set to remove out-of-focus content and retrieve high-frequency in-focus content. The local contrast of the second-image data set is determined producing a low resolution local contrast data set. The local contrast provides a low resolution estimate of the in-focus content in the first-image data set. A low pass filter is applied to the estimated low resolution in-focus data set, thus making its frequency information complementary to the high-frequency in-focus data set. The low and high frequency in-focus data sets are combined to produce an optically-sectioned data set of the real-world object.

Abstract: A system for providing enhanced background rejection in thick tissue contains an aberrating element for introducing controllable extraneous spatial aberrations in an excitation beam path; at least one mirror capable of directing received laser pulses to the aberrating element; an objective; a beam scanner imaged onto a back aperture of the objective so that the beam scanner steers beam focus within the thick tissue; and a detector for recording signals produced by the tissue. An associated method comprises the steps of acquiring two-photon excited fluorescence of thick tissue without extraneous aberrations; introducing an extraneous aberration pattern in an excitation beam path; acquiring two-photon excited fluorescence of the thick tissue having the introduced extraneous aberration pattern; and subtracting the two-photon excited fluorescence with extraneous aberrations from the acquired standard two-photon excited fluorescence of the thick tissue without extraneous aberrations.

Abstract: A first image data set of the real-world object is received at a processor where the real-world object was illuminated with substantially uniform illumination. A second image data set of the real-world object is received at the processor where the real-world object was illuminated with substantially structured illumination. A high pass filter is applied to the first-image data set to remove out-of-focus content and retrieve high-frequency in-focus content. The local contrast of the second-image data set is determined producing a low resolution local contrast data set. The local contrast provides a low resolution estimate of the in-focus content in the first-image data set. A low pass filter is applied to the estimated low resolution in-focus data set, thus making its frequency information complementary to the high-frequency in-focus data set. The low and high frequency in-focus data sets are combined to produce an optically-sectioned data set of the real-world object.

Abstract: A versatile, imaging system that uses dynamic speckle illumination (DSI) is disclosed. The DSI microscope includes at least one light source for producing light to illuminate a target object in an object plane; an image recording device for recording a sequence of images of the target object; imaging optics for transmitting signal light from the target object as the sequence of images from the target object to the image recording device; and a dynamic speckle generating system for illuminating the target object with dynamic speckle.

Abstract: A system for providing enhanced background rejection in thick tissue contains an aberrating element for introducing controllable extraneous spatial aberrations in an excitation beam path; at least one mirror capable of directing received laser pulses to the aberrating element; an objective; a beam scanner imaged onto a back aperture of the objective so that the beam scanner steers beam focus within the thick tissue; and a detector for recording signals produced by the tissue. An associated method comprises the steps of acquiring two-photon excited fluorescence of thick tissue without extraneous aberrations; introducing an extraneous aberration pattern in an excitation beam path; acquiring two-photon excited fluorescence of the thick tissue having the introduced extraneous aberration pattern; and subtracting the two-photon excited fluorescence with extraneous aberrations from the acquired standard two-photon excited fluorescence of the thick tissue without extraneous aberrations.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a confocal laser scanning microscopy apparatus, comprising: means for emitting a laser beam; means for scanning this laser beam in at least two directions onto an observed sample; means for generating a non linear light signal from the transmitted laser light, these non linear light signal generating means being disposed in the light path between the observed sample and detecting means which are adapted for detecting said non linear light signal.