Microscope and method for light field microscopy and confocal microscopy with light sheet excitation

Abstract

The invention relates to a microscope comprising an excitation beam path in which are present: a light source; an objective lens that illuminates the sample with excitation radiation and captures detection radiation; and means for switching between the first and second operating modes of the microscope. A color separator is present in the excitation beam path, which is reflective to the excitation radiation, the beam of excitation radiation being reflected along another excitation beam path due to the action of the color separator. Furthermore, a first device is present in the excitation beam path between the light source and the color separator, by means of which the first cylindrical optical element can be introduced into the excitation beam path in a first operating state of the microscope; a second device is present in the excitation beam path between the optical splitter and the scanning device, by means of which the second cylindrical optical element can be introduced into the excitation beam path in the first operating state of the microscope. The invention also relates to a method of operating a microscope having two operating modes.

Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a microscope and to a method for operating a microscope for light field microscopy and confocal microscopy with light sheet excitation. Background technique

[0002] Modern microscopy increasingly focuses on the rapid capture of three-dimensional sample volumes. An important application in this context is the measurement of neural signals in networks of neural cells. These networks are spread across the brain over hundreds or thousands of microns. To be able to understand the fundamental capabilities of the brain, the responses of the network or large parts thereof need to be captured as completely as possible with high temporal resolution. Here, as it is important to understand not only morphological structures but also functional processes, these approaches are also combined under key functional imaging.

[0003] In the field of microscopy, many different methods are known with which functional imaging can be appro...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0083] exist figure 1 The basic setup of the microscope 1 according to the invention is schematically shown in . For the sake of clarity, the description only shows technical elements necessary to explain the present invention. The light source 3 is arranged in the excitation beam path 2 of the microscope 1 and is embodied in particular in the form of a laser light source 3 which emits excitation radiation ER along the optical axis 4 of the excitation beam path 2 . In the shown first operating state of the microscope 1 (the microscope 1 is used in the first operating mode), there is a first device 5 for introducing an optical element into the excitation beam path 2 and a first cylindrical lens in the form of a first A cylindrical optical element 5.1 is introduced into the path 2 of the excitation beam. Due to the action of the first cylindrical optical element 5 . 1 , the excitation radiation ER is shaped by limiting its cross section transverse to its direction of propagati...

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a microscope and to a method for operating a microscope for light field microscopy and confocal microscopy with light sheet excitation. Background technique

[0002] Modern microscopy increasingly focuses on the rapid capture of three-dimensional sample volumes. An important application in this context is the measurement of neural signals in networks of neural cells. These networks are spread across the brain over hundreds or thousands of microns. To be able to understand the fundamental capabilities of the brain, the responses of the network or large parts thereof need to be captured as completely as possible with high temporal resolution. Here, as it is important to understand not only morphological structures but also functional processes, these approaches are also combined under key functional imaging.

[0003] In the field of microscopy, many different methods are known with which functional imaging can be appro...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0083] exist figure 1 The basic setup of the microscope 1 according to the invention is schematically shown in . For the sake of clarity, the description only shows technical elements necessary to explain the present invention. The light source 3 is arranged in the excitation beam path 2 of the microscope 1 and is embodied in particular in the form of a laser light source 3 which emits excitation radiation ER along the optical axis 4 of the excitation beam path 2 . In the shown first operating state of the microscope 1 (the microscope 1 is used in the first operating mode), there is a first device 5 for introducing an optical element into the excitation beam path 2 and a first cylindrical lens in the form of a first A cylindrical optical element 5.1 is introduced into the path 2 of the excitation beam. Due to the action of the first cylindrical optical element 5 . 1 , the excitation radiation ER is shaped by limiting its cross section transverse to its direction of propagati...

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