A system for illuminating a microscopy specimen includes an illumination source configured to emit a light that travels along an illumination path to illuminate the microscopy specimen placed on an optical detection path of an optical microscope. The system also includes optical elements in the illumination path and configured to at least in part transform the light from the illumination source into a light sheet illuminating the microscopy specimen. The optical elements include an electronically tunable lens configured to vary a focal distance of the electronically tunable lens to dynamically vary a position of a waist of the light sheet illuminating the microscopy specimen. The optical elements include a deflector configured to vertically move the light sheet to illuminate the microscopy specimen at different horizontal planes.

Various embodiments may provide a method of illuminating a sample surface. The method may include arranging an illumination subsystem, the illumination subsystem including an optical source and at least one lens, having an optic axis at an incident angle greater than 0° and less than 90° to a normal of the sample surface such that a reference illumination distribution is directly generated on the sample surface based on optical light emitted by the illumination subsystem. The method may also include arranging an adjustment optical subsystem such that an adjusted illumination distribution which is more symmetrical compared to the reference illumination distribution is generated on the sample surface based on optical light emitted by the illumination subsystem.

A method for adjusting a focus of an optical system includes focusing measurement light in a sample space using an optical arrangement. The measurement light is transmitted on a sample side of the optical arrangement through at least one optical medium. The measurement light reflected by a reflector and transmitted through a further optical arrangement is detected using a detector arrangement. A working distance between the optical arrangement and the reflector is ascertained based on the measurement light detected by the detector, wherein a focus of the measurement light lies on the reflector for the working distance.

Systems and methods herein provide improved, high-throughput multiphoton imaging of thick samples with reduced emission scattering. The systems and methods use structured illumination to modify the excitation light. A reconstruction process can be applied to the resulting images to recover image information free of scattering. The disclosed systems and methods provide high throughput, high signal-to-noise ratio, and high resolution images that are depth selective.

Systems and methods herein provide improved, high-throughput multiphoton imaging of thick samples with reduced emission scattering. The systems and methods use structured illumination to modify the excitation light. A reconstruction process can be applied to the resulting images to recover image information free of scattering. The disclosed systems and methods provide high throughput, high signal-to-noise ratio, and high resolution images that are depth selective.

A light source unit includes: a housing; a semiconductor laser that is disposed in the housing and that radiates excitation light; a first condenser optical system that condenses the excitation light; a dichroic mirror that selectively reflects the excitation light; a second condenser optical system that condenses the excitation light; a wavelength conversion member that performs wavelength conversion of the excitation light and emits wavelength-converted light; an emission section that outputs the wavelength-converted light transmitted through the second condenser optical system and the dichroic mirror; and a light blocking section that is disposed between an inner surface of the housing, the inner surface being in a traveling direction of the excitation light toward a reflection surface of the dichroic mirror, and a back surface, the back surface being an opposite side of the reflection surface, or is disposed on the inner surface of the housing.

An observation device includes an illumination optical system and an observation optical system. The illumination optical system includes a light source and an aperture member. The observation optical system includes an objective lens, an optical structure, and a detector. The optical structure is disposed at a first position which is the position conjugate with the aperture member. The optical structure includes a blocking portion that blocks light and a transmitting portion that transmits light, the blocking portion having a shape including the shape of an image of an aperture of the aperture member which is formed on the optical structure. The detector detects dark-field light passing through the optical structure.

A method for obtaining a Fourier ptychography image using a smartphone comprises the steps of: (a) sequentially providing illumination of different angles to the sample by sequentially displaying, according to a first pattern composed of point light sources at different positions, the point light sources of the first pattern on a display of the smartphone; (b) obtaining an image for each illumination angle of the sample using a camera of the smartphone whenever illumination of different angles is provided by the point light sources of the first pattern; and (c) restoring a first Fourier ptychography image using a plurality of images for each illumination angle obtained using the camera of the smartphone.

A method for obtaining a Fourier ptychography image using a smartphone comprises the steps of: (a) sequentially providing illumination of different angles to the sample by sequentially displaying, according to a first pattern composed of point light sources at different positions, the point light sources of the first pattern on a display of the smartphone; (b) obtaining an image for each illumination angle of the sample using a camera of the smartphone whenever illumination of different angles is provided by the point light sources of the first pattern; and (c) restoring a first Fourier ptychography image using a plurality of images for each illumination angle obtained using the camera of the smartphone.

A surgical microscope for visualizing a tissue region contains an illumination device with a light source and an illumination beam path for illuminating an object region with an object plane and an observation device having an observation beam path for imaging the object region with the object plane into an observation plane. A first polarizer can be coupled into the illumination beam path and is suitable for polarizing the illumination light in a first orientation. A polarizer, which can be coupled into the observation beam path, has a second orientation at an angle between 80° and 100° relative to the first orientation. In a first mode, the light source emits illumination light in a first wavelength range between 450 nm and 550 nm, the first polarizer is coupled into the illumination beam path, and the second polarizer is coupled into the observation beam path.