The invention relates to a method for inspecting a sample with an assembly comprising a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a light microscope (LM). The assembly comprises a sample holder for holding the sample. The sample holder is arranged for inspecting the sample with both the SEM and the LM, preferably at the same time. The method comprising the steps of: capturing a LM image of the sample in its position for imaging with the SEM; determining a position and dimensions of a region of interest in or on the sample using the LM image; determining values to which the SEM parameters need to be set to image the sample at a desired resolution; and capturing a SEM image of the region of interest, preferably using the first electron beam exposure of said region of interest.

Described herein are systems and methods for improving light-sheet microscopy with cost-effective and simplified components. Such cost-effective and simplified components can be implemented in a light focusing system, a light generation system, and/or in imaging system. The light focusing system can be improved by attaching a voice coil motor to a focusing lens to increase the imagable field of view. The light generation system can be improved with a multimode laser diode to increase the uniformity of the beam profile and to increase the usable optical power. The imaging system can be improved by using a fluid chamber with positive cylindrical optical window for minimizing spherical aberrations.

Microscopes with objective assembly crash detection and methods of utilizing the same are disclosed herein. For example, a microscope comprises a microscope body, an objective assembly comprising an objective lens, an objective assembly mount configured to separably attach the objective assembly to the microscope body, and an orientation detection circuit configured to indicate when a relative orientation between the microscope body and the objective assembly differs from a predetermined relative orientation.

A cassette for retaining a specimen of surgically exposed tissue from a patient in an orientation that facilitates optical sectioning of the tissue by a confocal microscopic or other optical imaging microscope. The cassette includes a base member having a rigid optically transparent window upon which a tissue specimen is situated, a pliable membrane locatable over a substantial portion of the base member including the window, and an upper member, having an aperture therethrough, which can cover the base member to provide an enclosed cavity between the membrane and the window sealing the tissue specimen therein. The edges of the tissue specimen may be positioned planar against the window and retained in that position by bonds formed between the membrane and window at multiple points or locations around the tissue specimen. The specimen retained in the cavity is imagable by a microscope through the window of the base member.

A customized viewing system for an optical device to alleviate back and neck strain.

A surgical stereoscopic visualization system having a microscope head, dual cameras mounted on or proximate the microscope head for real time video capture of a subject in an operative field, a video processing and display system to receive separate video streams from the cameras and to combine the separate video streams into a time-aligned stereoscopic image. The processed image is displayed on a matrix display screen in at least one movable head-mounted stereoscopic display. Movement of the head mounted display is accomplished with a support structure on a headband that accurately positions the display screen in front of the user's eyes, yet allows the user to precisely move the display screen either manually or by motorized means into and out of the user's line of sight, thereby facilitating uninterrupted use of the hands while working in the surgical suite.

An image generation apparatus includes a plurality of irradiators, and a control circuit. The control circuit performs an operation including generating an in-focus image of an object in each of a plurality of predetermined focal planes, extracting a contour of at least one or more cross sections of the object represented in the plurality of in-focus images, generating at least one or more circumferences based on the contour of the at least one or more cross sections, generating a sphere image in the form of a three-dimensional image of at least one or more spheres, each sphere having one of the circumferences, generating a synthetic image by processing the sphere image such that a cross section appears, and displaying the resultant synthetic image on a display.

A digital microscope (1) includes an optical fiber bundle (17) that supplies bright field light, an optical fiber bundle (18) that supplies dark field light, an optical fiber bundle (19) for causing light from a light source to enter the optical fiber bundle (17) (18) and a mechanism for changing a mixture ratio of the bright field light and the dark field light according to operation in an operating section (26). A light entry end of the optical fiber bundle (17) and a light entry end of the optical fiber bundle (18) are arranged adjacent to each other to face in the same direction. A light exit end of the optical fiber (19) is arranged to be opposed to both of the light entry ends.

A cell suction support system includes: an image acquisition unit that acquires a microscopic image of a group of cells in a cell container; an image processor that uses the microscopic image to calculate a characteristic amount of each cell, and detects a cell having a characteristic amount that satisfies a predetermined condition; a display that displays information concerning the group of cells so that the detected cell is distinguishable; and a movement controller that moves the cell container so that a designated specific cell is placed at a predetermined suction position, while moving a suction tip to the suction position.

Surgical stereo vision systems and methods for microsurgery are described that enable hand-eye collocation, high resolution, and a large field of view. A digital stereo microscope apparatus, an operating system with a digital stereo microscope, and a method are described using a display unit located over an area of interest such that a human operator places hands, tools, or a combination thereof in the area of interest and views a magnified and augmented live stereo view of the area interest with eyes of the human operator substantially collocated with the hands of the human operator.