Abstract: In a method for the examination of a sample the sample is illuminated in a sample plane along a sample line with an illuminating light beam. The sample is acted upon by a depletion or switching light beam, which overlaps in the sample plane in an overlap region at least partially spatially with the illuminating light beam and which has at least one wavelength suitable for depletion of the sample. Part of fluorescent light emanating from the sample plane is detected as detection light. The fluorescent light originating from outside a first subregion and a second subregion is at least partially suppressed and not detected.

Abstract: A SPIM-microscope (Selective Plane Imaging Microscope) having a y-direction illumination light source and a z-direction detection light camera. An x-scanner generates a sequential light sheet by scanning the illumination light beam in the x-direction. The SPIM-microscope has an illumination optics having a zoom optics provided in a beam path of the illumination light beam, the zoom optics being adapted to change the focal length of the illumination light beam and adapted to detect a larger area of the object by sequentially detecting sequences of images along the y-direction that have an increased resolution along the z-direction. An image processing unit combines these sequences of images by image stitching into one large overall image.

Abstract: A SPIM-microscope (Selective Plane Imaging Microscope) having a y-direction illumination light source and a z-direction detection light camera. An x-scanner generates a sequential light sheet by scanning the illumination light beam in the x-direction. The SPIM-microscope has an illumination optics having a zoom optics provided in a beam path of the illumination light beam, the zoom optics being adapted to change the focal length of the illumination light beam and adapted to detect a larger area of the object by sequentially detecting sequences of images along the y-direction that have an increased resolution along the z-direction. An image processing unit combines these sequences of images by image stitching into one large overall image.

Abstract: A SPIM-microscope (Selective Plane Imaging Microscopy) and a method of operating the same having a y-direction illumination light source and a z-direction detection light camera. An x-scanner generates a sequential light sheet by scanning the illumination light beam in the x-direction. An electronic zoom is provided that is adapted to change the scanning length in the x-direction independently of a focal length of the illumination light beam and a size of the light sheet in the y-direction and in the z-direction, wherein the number of image pixels in x-direction is maintained unchanged by the electronic zoom independently of the scanning length in x-direction that has been selected.

Abstract: A microscope, which is a confocal microscope converted into a light sheet microscope, includes a microscope body and a mechanical receiving apparatus for microscope objectives, through which a microscope beam path extends. An optical module attachable to the receiving apparatus is configured to illuminate a sample volume and collect and transmit light from the sample volume. The optical module comprises: first and second optical arrangements with first and second beam paths that intersect in the sample volume, an optical beam path selector configured to combine the first and/or second beam path with the microscope beam path, and an attachment element arranged between the first or second optical arrangement and the sample volume, wherein the first or second beam path extend at least in sections through the attachment element in order to generate a light sheet. An area sensor is configured to detect light collected from the sample volume.

Abstract: A microscope system includes a light sheet microscopy functional unit and at least one further light microscopy functional unit. The light sheet microscopy functional unit has an illumination objective which is formed by a first objective and a detection objective which is formed by a separate second objective. The at least one further light microscopy functional unit has a detection objective that is formed by the second objective.

Abstract: A microscope includes a wide-field illuminator configured to illuminate at least one selected region of a sample, and a beam splitter configured to generate a first detection beam path and a second detection beam path. A camera detector is arranged within the first detection beam path and is configured to record images of the selected region of the sample. A point detector is arranged within the second detection beam path and is configured to acquire a predetermined subregion of the sample lying within the selected region. A detection objective, which is arranged within the first and second detection beam paths on an object side of the beam splitter. The detection objective is a common detection objective for the camera detector and the point detector.

Abstract: A lightsheet microscope includes a detection objective for imaging a target region of a sample located in a focal plane, and an illumination objective for focusing an illumination light beam. The illumination objective and the detection objective define a sample chamber, in which a sample holder having a carrier surface is arranged. A light deflection device has a deflection surface arranged laterally offset in relation to the optical axis of the detection objective in the sample chamber which deflects the illumination light beam through the illumination objective in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis such that the deflected illumination light beam forms a lightsheet-type illumination light distribution. The light deflection device has a collision section facing toward the carrier surface. The carrier surface is inclined relative to the focal plane at a predetermined angle such that a part of the carrier surface is arranged in the focal plane.

Abstract: A method for high-resolution imaging includes illuminating a target region of a specimen by first and second illumination light beams during respective holding durations to transfer respective subsets of fluorophores from a first into a second state. The fluorophores emit fluorescence photons upon transition from the second back into the first state, which are used to produce respective raw images. The illumination light beams have different power and/or beam profiles. A high-resolution image is produced from the raw images. The respective holding durations are shorter than a lifetime of a third state of the fluorophores, into which a third subset of the fluorophores is transferred by the illumination of the target region by the first and/or second illumination light beam, and the lifetime of the third state is longer by a factor of at least 2 than a lifetime of the second state.

Abstract: A microscope for imaging a sample includes an illumination unit for emitting illumination light to the sample; a detector for capturing a detection light originating from the sample; an optical system for focusing the illumination light onto the sample and focusing the detection light onto the detector; and a scanning unit for scanning the sample using the illumination light. The illumination unit emits the illumination light as separate illumination light beams which can be focused on spatially mutually separated, strip-like sample regions simultaneously. The detector captures the detection light in the form of separate detection light beams originating from the sample regions simultaneously and in a spatially mutually separated manner. The sample regions are in sample planes, and the detector having sub-detectors, which are each assigned to a sample plane and capture a detection light beam that originates from a respective sample plane.

Abstract: A method for examining a sample by light sheet microscopy includes illuminating a sample surface located in an illumination plane by a light sheet propagating in the illumination plane. A position of a light sheet focal point of the light sheet in the illumination plane is moved by changing an optical length of a light path of illumination light forming the light sheet. Detection light emanating from the illumination plane is detected.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope includes: a detection objective configured to image a target region of a sample located in a focal plane of the detection objective; an illumination objective configured to focus an illumination light beam in the sample, the detection objective and the illumination objective being opposite to one another, and the optical axis of the detection objective and the optical axis of the illumination objective being parallel to one another; a first light deflection device having at least one first deflection surface and one second deflection surface, which are each arranged offset to the optical axis of the detection objective and are configured to deflect the illumination light beam focused by the illumination objective in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the detection objective such that a deflected illumination light beam forms a light-sheet-like illumination light distribution focused in the focal plane.

Abstract: A method for examining a sample in light sheet fluorescence microscopy includes generating an illumination light beam using a light source. The illumination light beam is spatially split into at least two partial illumination light beams using a splitter. The partial illumination light beams are guided through an illumination objective shared by the partial illumination light beams. After the partial illumination light beams have passed through the illumination objective, at least one of the partial illumination light beams is deflected using at least one deflector such that the partial illumination light beams interfere with one another in an illumination plane so as to generate an illumination pattern in the illumination plane. An image of a sample region illuminated by the illumination pattern is produced, wherein detection light that emanates from the sample region reaches a position-sensitive detector through a detection objective.

Abstract: In a method for the examination of a sample the sample is illuminated in a sample plane along a sample line with an illuminating light beam. The sample is acted upon by a depletion or switching light beam, which overlaps in the sample plane in an overlap region at least partially spatially with the illuminating light beam and which has at least one wavelength suitable for depletion of the sample. Part of fluorescent light emanating from the sample plane is detected as detection light. The fluorescent light originating from outside a first subregion and a second subregion is at least partially suppressed and not detected.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope or a confocal microscope includes illumination optics configured to transmit light of at least two wavelengths from at least one light source, along respective wavelength-dependent beam paths, from an illumination side of the illumination optics to a specimen side of the illumination optics. A lateral chromatic correction system comprising at least one optical lateral chromatic correction element is configured such that the beam paths of the at least two different wavelengths have, at a specimen-side output of the lateral chromatic correction element, an offset parallel to each other and/or are inclined relative to each other in relation to the illumination side, which, on the specimen side of the illumination optics, results in an offset of the foci of the at least two wavelengths transverse to an optical axis of the illumination optics.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for a microscope, for producing a de-excitation or switching light distribution, includes a light source configured to produce a primary illumination light beam and a beam splitter configured to divide the primary illumination light beam into two partial illumination light beams. An illumination objective is configured to focus the partial illumination light beams onto and/or into a sample such that the partial illumination light beams extend, spatially separated from one another, through an entry pupil of the illumination objective and are spatially superposed on and/or in the sample after passing through the illumination objective. A phase influencer is configured to cause a relative phase offset of the partial illumination light beams with respect to one another in such a way that the partial illumination light beams in the entry pupil of the illumination objective have a phase offset of ?.

Abstract: A device is configured to carry out a method for examining a sample comprising: illuminating the sample in an illumination plane along an illumination strip by an illuminating light beam which propagates along the illumination strip, wherein the illuminating light beam is formed as a light sheet; projecting the illumination strip into a detection plane by detection light originating from the illumination strip being focused in the detection plane; and detecting the detection light by a detector. The detector is formed as a slit detector.

Abstract: A method for the examination of a sample includes illuminating the sample in a sample plane along a sample line with an illuminating light beam. The sample is acted upon by a depletion or switching light beam, which overlaps in the sample plane in an overlap region with the illuminating light beam. Part of fluorescent light emanating from the sample plane is detected as detection light originating from a first subregion of the overlap region, in which the probability of an interaction of the sample molecules with the depletion or switching light beam is greater than 90%, and/or originating from a second subregion which is at least partially surrounded by the first sub-region and/or in which the depletion or switching light beam has a zero point, while at the same time the fluorescent light originating from outside the first subregion and the second subregion is suppressed and not detected.

Abstract: An optical device for illuminating a sample located in a sample volume with illumination light and for detecting scattered and/or fluorescent light from the sample includes an optical illumination assembly, an optical detection assembly and at least one attachment element. The optical illumination assembly is configured to transmit the illumination light along an illumination path into the sample volume. The optical detection assembly is configured to collect and relay the scattered and/or fluorescent light from the sample volume along a detection path. At least portions of the illumination path and/or of the detection path extend in the at least one attachment element.

Abstract: A light sheet microscope for simultaneous imaging of several object planes illuminated by a light sheet includes a camera and a detection optic defining a detection light beam between the light sheet and the camera. The object planes are arranged around the focal plane of the detection optic. The detection optic can include a microlens array.