Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and to a method for examining and manipulating microscopic objects (1), with a microscope (2), a light source (3, 4) used to illuminate the object (1), an illumination beam path (5), a detector (6) used to detect the light returning from the object (1), a detection beam path (7), a light source (8) used for the object manipulation and a manipulation light beam path (9). The device according to the invention and the method according to the invention are intended to permit three-dimensional examination and manipulation of objects (1) whose dimension along the optical axis is greater than the depth of focus of the microscope objective used, with the additional intention that object manipulation should be possible at all sites of the three-dimensional object (1).

Abstract: The invention discloses a scanning microscope for optical measurement with high spatial resolution of a specimen point of a specimen, having a light source for emitting an exciting light beam suitable for exciting an energy state of the specimen; a detector for detection of the emitted light; and a stimulating light beam, coming from the light source, for generating stimulated emission of the specimen excited by the exciting light beam at the specimen point, the exciting light beam and the stimulating light beam being arranged in such a way that their intensity distributions in the focal region partially overlap, wherein optical elements which shape the stimulating light beam are combined into at least one module that is positionable in the beam path of the scanning microscope.

Abstract: A method for examining a specimen (11) by means of a confocal scanning microscope having at least one light source (1), preferably a laser, to generate an illuminating light beam (4) for the specimen (11), and a beam deflection device (9) to guide the illuminating light beam (4) over the specimen (11) comprises, in the interest of reliable definition of details or regions of interest of the specimen (11), the following method steps: Firstly a preview image is acquired. Then at least one region of interest in the preview image is marked. This is followed by allocation of individual illuminating light beam wavelengths and/or illuminating light beam power levels to the region or regions. Illumination of the region or regions of the specimen (11) in accordance with the allocation is then accomplished, at least one manipulation in at least one region (25) being performed by means of the illumination.