Astigmatic Optics Placement in Light Sheet Microscope Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light sheet microscopes face limitations in producing a diffraction-limited light sheet over a wide spatial and spectral range, with previous methods being inflexible and resulting in poor optical quality and potential lens damage due to high intensities.
Innovation Solution
The use of astigmatic optics arranged between the tube lens and the illumination objective allows for a compact design that focuses the illumination light bundle in both sagittal and meridional planes, enabling flexible adjustment of the light sheet geometry and preventing focus within the lens, thus avoiding damage and improving optical quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a cylindrical lens is used to generate a light sheet, then the light sheet can be produced, but the optical quality is not high enough to produce a diffraction-limited light sheet over a wide spatial and spectral range
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination optical system is divided into separate components: an illumination objective for focusing light and astigmatic optics (cylindrical lens) for shaping the light sheet. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the illumination objective provides high optical quality and diffraction-limited focusing, while the astigmatic optics selectively shape the beam in one dimension to create the light sheet geometry across a wide spatial and spectral range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the illumination objective with astigmatic optics in a coordinated arrangement where the cylindrical lens is positioned at a specific distance (focal length) in front of the illumination objective pupil. This merging creates a unified system that achieves both diffraction-limited optical quality and flexible adaptation across wide spatial and spectral ranges by leveraging the complementary strengths of both optical elements.
2Ease of operation
If the cylindrical lens is arranged at the distance of its focal length in front of the pupil of the illumination objective, then the light sheet width is defined by the focal length, but the width of the light sheet is no longer a free parameter
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic adjustment of the light sheet width by allowing the astigmatic optics (cylindrical lens) to be repositioned along the optical axis or by varying the parameters of the illumination objective. This dynamic configuration allows the light sheet width to be adapted to different experimental requirements while maintaining the beneficial fixed positioning for stable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows for parameter changes in the illumination system, such as adjusting the focal length of the illumination objective or the position of the cylindrical lens, to vary the light sheet width. By changing these parameters, the system maintains ease of operation with a standardized setup while providing adaptability to produce light sheets of different widths for various sample sizes and experimental conditions.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact design is implemented with astigmatic optics between the tube lens and illumination objective, then the device size is reduced, but the arrangement must prevent focus within the lens to avoid damage
Solution Approach 1:
The astigmatic optics act as an intermediary element between the tube lens and illumination objective, positioned to shape the light sheet while the illumination objective's pupil serves as a reference plane. By carefully positioning the astigmatic optics at a specific distance (focal length) in front of the pupil and ensuring the light sheet focus occurs in the sample plane rather than within the lens, the system achieves compact design while preventing harmful high-intensity focusing within the lens elements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables the production of a compact, diffraction-limited light sheet that can be flexibly adapted, enhancing the optical quality and preventing lens damage, allowing for efficient and gentle illumination of samples in SPIM microscopy.
Implementation Method 1
astigmatic optics (7) arranged between the tube lens (3) and the illumination objective (4) in such a way that the illumination light bundle (8) emerging from the illumination objective (4) is focused both in a sagittal plane and in a meridional plane
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to an illumination arrangement for a light sheet microscope, in which a sample is illuminated using an illumination light beam (8) that is formed as a light sheet (11) in the area of the sample, comprising an illumination objective (4), a tube lens (3), and astigmatic optics (7). The illumination arrangement is characterized in that the astigmatic optics (7) is arranged between the tube lens (3) and the illumination objective (4), and/or no additional focusing or defocusing elements are arranged between the astigmatic optics (7) and the illumination objective (4). Alternatively, the astigmatic optics can also be a part of the illumination objective (4). In addition, the invention relates to a method for illuminating a sample by means of an illumination arrangement of this type, and a microscope which includes an illumination arrangement of this type.