Among other things, an imaging device has a photosensitive array of pixels, and a surface associated with the array is configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels.

A lighting device for an imaging optical device such as a microscope is provided. The lighting device illuminates an object to be analyzed in an imaging optical device for microscopic analysis in at least two different contrasting techniques. The lighting device has light sources for the illumination, where the light sources are associated with a contrasting technique are controllable independently from each other.

A compact microscope including an enclosure, a support element, a primary optical support element located within the enclosure and supported by the support element, at least one vibration isolating mount between the support element and the primary optical support element, a sample stage supported on the primary optical support element to support a sample, a return optical system to receive returned light from a sample and transmit returned light to a detection apparatus, wherein the return optical system is mounted on the primary optical support element, and wherein the compact microscope include a at least one of the following elements; a) an objective lens system, b) a temperature-control system, and c) the return optical system being operable to separate returned light into at least a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band.

A compact microscope including an enclosure, a support element, a primary optical support element located within the enclosure and supported by the support element, at least one vibration isolating mount between the support element and the primary optical support element, a sample stage supported on the primary optical support element to support a sample, a return optical system to receive returned light from a sample and transmit returned light to a detection apparatus, wherein the return optical system is mounted on the primary optical support element, and wherein the compact microscope include a at least one of the following elements; a) an objective lens system, b) a temperature-control system, and c) the return optical system being operable to separate returned light into at least a first wavelength band and a second wavelength band.

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.

In a sample observation device, an image acquisition unit 6 acquires a plurality of pieces of image data of a sample in a Y-axis direction, and an image generation unit generates luminance image data on luminance of the sample on the basis of the plurality of pieces of image data, binarizes luminance values of each of the plurality of pieces of image data to generate a plurality of pieces of binarized image data, and generates area image data on an existing area of the sample on the basis of the plurality of pieces of binarized image data.

Examples relate to a microscope system comprising a Light-Emitting Diode (LED)-based illumination system and at least one image sensor assembly, and to a corresponding system, method and computer program. The LED-based illumination system is configured to emit radiation power having at least one peak at a wavelength that is tuned to an excitation wavelength of at least one fluorescent material and/or to emit radiation power across a white light spectrum, with the light emitted across the white light spectrum being filtered such that light having a wavelength spectrum that coincides with at least one fluorescence emission wavelength spectrum of the at least one fluorescent material is attenuated or blocked. The at least one image sensor assembly is configured to generate image data, with the image data (at least) representing light reflected by a sample that is illuminated by the LED-based illumination system. The microscope system comprises one or more processors, configured to process the image data to generate processed image data.

Examples relate to a microscope system comprising a Light-Emitting Diode (LED)-based illumination system and at least one image sensor assembly, and to a corresponding system, method and computer program. The LED-based illumination system is configured to emit radiation power having at least one peak at a wavelength that is tuned to an excitation wavelength of at least one fluorescent material and/or to emit radiation power across a white light spectrum, with the light emitted across the white light spectrum being filtered such that light having a wavelength spectrum that coincides with at least one fluorescence emission wavelength spectrum of the at least one fluorescent material is attenuated or blocked. The at least one image sensor assembly is configured to generate image data, with the image data (at least) representing light reflected by a sample that is illuminated by the LED-based illumination system. The microscope system comprises one or more processors, configured to process the image data to generate processed image data.

The present disclosure generally relates to a molecular construct for multiphoton fluorescence microscopy imaging. The molecular construct has a first, non-fluorescent configuration (2PAP-C) and a second, fluorescent configuration (2PAP-CL), and comprises a two-photon absorbing probe (2PAP) linked to a photochromic molecule that can be reversibly changed from a first colored isomeric form (C) to a second colorless isomeric form (CL). The first colored form (C) can be isomerized to the second colorless isomeric form (CL) upon absorption of two photons by the two-photon absorbing probe (2PAP). The present disclosure also relates to a method for analyzing a target structure in a multiphoton microscope utilizing the molecular construct. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to an antibody tagged with the molecular construct, and to the use of the molecular construct for imaging a target structure.

The present disclosure generally relates to a molecular construct for multiphoton fluorescence microscopy imaging. The molecular construct has a first, non-fluorescent configuration (2PAP-C) and a second, fluorescent configuration (2PAP-CL), and comprises a two-photon absorbing probe (2PAP) linked to a photochromic molecule that can be reversibly changed from a first colored isomeric form (C) to a second colorless isomeric form (CL). The first colored form (C) can be isomerized to the second colorless isomeric form (CL) upon absorption of two photons by the two-photon absorbing probe (2PAP). The present disclosure also relates to a method for analyzing a target structure in a multiphoton microscope utilizing the molecular construct. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to an antibody tagged with the molecular construct, and to the use of the molecular construct for imaging a target structure.