Microscope System Shared Optics Switching Modes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microscope systems requiring separate telescope systems for light sheet and scanning microscopy are costly and mechanically complex, with increased space requirements due to the need for multiple interfaces and high aberration correction.
Innovation Solution
A microscope system combining light sheet and scanning microscopy using a single telescope optics and shared scanning elements, with a control unit to switch between operating states, allowing for efficient use of existing microscope stands and reducing the need for multiple interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate telescope systems are used for light sheet and scanning microscopy, then imaging quality is maintained, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines light sheet microscopy and scanning microscopy into a single integrated system that shares common optical components including telescope optics, scanning elements, and detector. This merging eliminates the need for separate telescope systems while maintaining imaging quality through a unified optical path that can operate in both light sheet and scanning modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescope optics and scanning elements are designed to serve dual functions: they enable both light sheet illumination and point-by-point scanning operations. The system can switch between operating modes using the same hardware components, making the telescope system universal for both microscopy techniques rather than requiring dedicated systems for each.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interfaces and connections are provided for separate microscope systems, then adaptability is improved, but mechanical complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides a single unified interface that supports both light sheet and scanning microscopy operations. The common optical path and shared components eliminate the need for multiple separate connections and interfaces, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining the ability to perform both imaging methods through software-controlled mode switching.
3Measurement precision
If separate telescope systems with high aberration correction are used, then imaging quality is maintained, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a single telescope system with aberration correction that serves both light sheet and scanning microscopy. This shared optical system incurs the cost of high-quality aberration-corrected optics only once, rather than requiring separate expensive telescope systems for each microscopy type, thereby reducing overall system cost while maintaining image quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a microscope system (10), comprising a light sheet microscopic functional unit (12) which illuminates and images a sample (16) in a first operating state of the microscope system (10) by means of a light sheet-like illumination light distribution, a functional unit using scanning microscopy (14) which illuminates and images the sample (16) in a second operating state of the microscope system (10) by means of a point-like illumination light distribution, a first scanning element (66) which uniaxially scans the sample (16) in the first operating state with light sheet-like illumination light distribution and uniaxially scans the sample (16) in the second operating state with point-like illumination light distribution, a second scanning element which uniaxially scans the sample (16) in a further axis in the second operating state with the point-like illumination light distribution generated by the functional unit using scanning microscopy (14) and thus, in the second operating state, generates together with the first scanning element a biaxial scanning of the sample (16) with the point-like illumination light distribution generated by the functional unit using scanning microscopy (14), and further comprising a control unit which switches between the first operating state and the second operating state.