A time-resolved hyper-spectral imaging system for imaging a sample, includes a radiation source suitable for illuminating the sample repeatably, a first optical system configured to form an image I of the sample on a spatial light modulator forming a transmission or reflection mask P, a processor connected to the spatial light modulator and configured to make the transmission or reflection mask P vary for each repetition of the illumination, a second optical system suitable for focusing the radiation transmitted or reflected by the spatial light modulator so as to form, in its image focal plane, a partial image S=P.I, the imaging system being wherein it comprises: a dispersive device comprising a slit placed in the image focal plane of the second optical system, the dispersive device being suitable for spatially splitting the various wavelengths of the radiation transmitted or reflected by the spatial light modulator; a streak camera arranged so as to be illuminated by the radiation issuing from the dispersive device and configured to acquire a plurality of time-resolved partial images of the sample, the images being associated with respective and different transmission or reflection masks P, the streak camera being connected to the processor and the processor also being configured to combine the partial images of the sample so as to construct a 4D image cube I.sub.tot forming an image resolved in time and in wavelength of the sample; and corresponding time-resolved hyper-spectral imaging method for imaging a sample.

Lightening method of at least one biological sample (S), in which said at least one biological sample includes at least one or more fluorophores, at the focal point (F) of at least one objective lens (L) having a main optical axis (z-z), the method comprising the following operational steps:lightening (step 10) said at least one biological sample (S) with at least one excitation beam (EB), which propagates between said at least one objective lens (L) and said at least one biological sample (S) along at least one first propagation axis (a-a);lightening (step 20) said at least one biological sample (S) with at least two depletion beams (DB, DB), which propagate between said at least one objective lens (L) and said at least one biological sample (S) along the respective second propagation axes (b-b, said depletion beams being donut-shaped, each one in a plane orthogonal to the respective second propagation axis (b-b, b-b); whereby said at least one first propagation axis (a-a) and said at least second propagation axes (b-b, b-b) are angularly inclined with each other, and said at least one first propagation axis (a-a) and said second propagation axes (b-b, b-b) intersect on said at least one biological sample (s) only at the focal point (F) of said at least one objective lens (L), so that an effective fluorescence volume (FV) is generated in said at least one biological sample (S) which is limited both orthogonally and axially with respect to said main optical axis (z-z).

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed whereby structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is applied to a scanning microscope, such as a confocal laser scanning microscope or sample scanning microscope, in order to improve spatial resolution. Particular aspects of the disclosure relate to the discovery of important advances in the ability to (i) increase light throughput to the sample, thereby increasing the signal/noise ratio and/or decreasing exposure time, as well as (ii) decrease the number of raw images to be processed, thereby decreasing image acquisition time. Both effects give rise to significant improvements in overall performance, to the benefit of users of scanning microscopy.

An image acquisition apparatus includes a spatial light modulator, an optical scanner, a detection unit, a control unit. The spatial light modulator performs focused irradiation on irradiation regions on a surface or inside of an observation object with modulated excitation light. The detection unit has imaging regions in an imaging relation with the irradiation regions on a light receiving surface, each of the imaging regions corresponds to one or two or more pixels, and a pixel that corresponds to none of the imaging regions exists adjacent to each imaging region. The control unit corrects a detection signal of a pixel corresponding to each imaging region on the basis of a detection signal of the pixel that exists adjacent to the imaging region and corresponds to none of the imaging regions, and generates an image of the observation object on the basis of the corrected detection signal.

A reflective spatial light modulator includes an electro-optic crystal having an input surface to which input light is input and a rear surface opposing the input surface, a light input/output unit being disposed on the input surface of the electro-optic crystal and having a first electrode through which the input light is transmitted, a light reflection unit including a substrate including a plurality of second electrodes and an adhesive layer for fixing the substrate to the rear surface and being disposed on the rear surface of the electro-optic crystal, and a drive circuit applying an electric field between the first electrode and the plurality of second electrodes.

Systems and methods are provided for evaluating a fresh tissue sample, prepared as to fluoresce under illumination, during a medical procedure. A structured light source is configured to project a spatially patterned light beam onto the fresh tissue sample. An imaging system is configured to produce an image from fluorescence emitted from the illuminated fresh tissue sample. A system control is configured to provide a human-comprehensible clinically useful output associated with the medical procedure.

An imaging system for measuring water and blood lipid content in a tissue sample includes a light source configured to emit a plurality of sequential wavelengths of light within a predetermined range of wavelengths, a spatial modulation device configured to direct each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light onto a tissue sample plane to generate a first plurality of patterns on the issue sample plane at a first spatial frequency and a second plurality of patterns on the tissue sample plane at a second spatial frequency, an imaging device configured to generate first image data reproducible as images the first plurality of patterns and second image data reproducible as images the second plurality of patterns, and a controller configured to determine a first optical property and a second optical property for each location on the sample plane.

Majorana photons are transmitted through a biological tissue sample to image the tissue. The Majorana photons have a circular polarization, a radial polarization or an azimuthal polarization. The transmitted photons are processed to produce a digital image of the biological tissue sample.

A liquid crystal photoelectric apparatus includes a first and a second quartz glass substrates, an upper alignment layer disposed between the first and the second quartz glass substrates, a lower alignment layer disposed between the upper alignment layer and the second quartz glass substrate, a liquid crystal material disposed between the upper and the lower alignment layers, a first transparent conductive layer disposed between the upper alignment layer and the first quartz glass substrate and including at least one first main portion and first finger portions extending from the corresponding first main portion and a second transparent conductive layer second transparent conductive layer disposed between the lower alignment layer and the second quartz glass substrate and including a second main portion and second finger portions extending from the second main portion in an extension direction perpendicular to that of the first finger portions. An optical imaging processing system is provided.

Disclosed is a technology for illuminating a specimen in a desired uniform illumination pattern and capturing an image of a wide field of view in a low background illumination environment.

Provided, for example, is a fluorescence microscope apparatus including a first illumination optics, a second illumination optics, and an imaging optics. The first illumination optics includes a first light source for exciting fluorescence in a specimen, a spatial light modulation element, and a first illumination optical member for uniformly illuminating the spatial light modulation element. The second illumination optics includes a second illumination optical member for forming an image of a light beam from the spatial light modulation element on a specimen surface. The imaging optics includes an imaging optical member and an imaging element. The imaging optical member captures an image of the specimen surface.