An arrangement for light sheet microscopy including illumination optics with an illumination objective for illuminating a sample, located in a medium on a sample carrier aligned with respect to a plane reference surface, with a light sheet. The arrangement also includes detection optics with a detection objective. The arrangement further includes a separating layer system with at least one layer separating the medium from the illumination and detection objectives. The separating layer system contacts the medium by a base surface aligned parallel to the reference surface. A correction lens system, with at least one correction lens serving to reduce those aberrations which occur as a result of the oblique passage of illumination light and/or of light to be detected through interfaces of the separating layer system, is arranged between illumination objective and separating layer system and/or between detection objective and separating layer system.

An arrangement for light sheet microscopy including illumination optics with an illumination objective for illuminating a sample, located in a medium on a sample carrier aligned with respect to a plane reference surface, with a light sheet. The arrangement also includes detection optics with a detection objective. The arrangement further includes a separating layer system with at least one layer separating the medium from the illumination and detection objectives. The separating layer system contacts the medium by a base surface aligned parallel to the reference surface. A correction lens system, with at least one correction lens serving to reduce those aberrations which occur as a result of the oblique passage of illumination light and/or of light to be detected through interfaces of the separating layer system, is arranged between illumination objective and separating layer system and/or between detection objective and separating layer system.

The phase modulation device 3 includes a first phase modulation element 11 which modulates a phase of a light flux in accordance with a voltage applied to each of a plurality of first electrodes in accordance with a first ratio of a second aberration component to a first aberration component of a wave front aberration generated by an optical system including an objective lens 4; a second phase modulation element 12 which modulates a phase of a light flux in accordance with a voltage applied to each of a plurality of second electrodes in accordance with a second ratio of the second aberration component to the first aberration component; and a control circuit 13 which controls voltages applied to each of first electrodes and each of second electrodes in accordance with a distance from the objective lens to a light focusing position of the light flux.

Test kits for assessing male fertility include a sample holder defining an object plane, a lens, and a two dimensional light sensor defining an image plane arranged along a common linear axis. The distance between the object plane and the image plane may be no more than 50 mm, and may be no more than 30 mm. A lens aperture may have an area of 1-10 mm.sup.2. The test kit may have a housing with a maximum linear dimension of no more than 100 mm. Processing circuitry may be provided that is configured to produce a sperm count and/or sperm motility measurements by processing image data from the two-dimensional light sensor.

A spectral imaging device (12) includes an image sensor (28), a tunable light source (14), an optical assembly (17), and a control system (30). The optical assembly (17) includes a first refractive element (24A) and a second refractive element (24B) that are spaced apart from one another by a first separation distance. The refractive elements (24A) (24B) have an element optical thickness and a Fourier space component of the optical frequency dependent transmittance function. Further, the element optical thickness of each refractive element (24A) (24B) and the first separation distance are set such that the Fourier space components of the optical frequency dependent transmittance function of each refractive element (24A) (24B) fall outside a Fourier space measurement passband.

A light sheet microscope includes a sample chamber in which a cover slip or slide is arrangeable, which has a surface that defines a partially reflective interface and which has a further surface that defines a further partially reflective interface. The two interfaces are arranged at different distances from an objective. The light sheet microscope further includes an optical system having the objective facing toward the cover slip or slide, an illumination apparatus, which is designed to generate a light sheet, a sensor, and a processor. The two interfaces are formed in that two optical media are applicable in the sample chamber. The light sheet microscope forms a measuring device for acquiring a measured variable. The sensor is designed to acquire the intensities and/or the incidence locations of the two reflection light beams.

Provided is a laser scanning microscope including a stage on which a sample is placed, an objective lens that is disposed below the stage and that focuses laser light from a light source onto the sample, a scanner that scans the laser light focused by the objective lens over the sample, a condenser lens disposed opposite the objective lens with the stage interposed therebetween, and a light blocking cover that is disposed in an optical path between the condenser lens and the stage and that blocks external light entering the objective lens or the condenser lens from above the sample via the stage.

Provided is a laser scanning microscope including a stage on which a sample is placed, an objective lens that is disposed below the stage and that focuses laser light from a light source onto the sample, a scanner that scans the laser light focused by the objective lens over the sample, a condenser lens disposed opposite the objective lens with the stage interposed therebetween, and a light blocking cover that is disposed in an optical path between the condenser lens and the stage and that blocks external light entering the objective lens or the condenser lens from above the sample via the stage.

An apparatus and method of delivering a precisely sized, homogeneous field of light within an optical system. The apparatus operates equally well over UV, visible, and NIR wavelengths, over a wide range of input beam divergence and regardless of heterogeneity. A tapered or contoured homogenizing rod that creates an evenly distributed illumination at a target area of specific size.

An apparatus and method of delivering a precisely sized, homogeneous field of light within an optical system. The apparatus operates equally well over UV, visible, and NIR wavelengths, over a wide range of input beam divergence and regardless of heterogeneity. A tapered or contoured homogenizing rod that creates an evenly distributed illumination at a target area of specific size.