Disclosed is an optical arrangement providing selective plane illumination, including an inverted illumination objective mounted below a sample support in use providing a line or plane of light at the sample support, and at least one image collection objective mounted above the support, said inverted illumination objective having an illumination objective optic axis, and said image collection objective having an image collection objective optical axis, wherein illumination light is arranged to propagate toward the illumination objective lateral offset to the illumination objective optical axis such that the illumination light leaving the illumination objective propagates toward the sample support at an oblique angle relative to the illumination objective optical axis, and wherein the image objective optical axis has an angle α which is obtuse to the illumination objective optical axis and generally perpendicular to light propagating at the sample support.

It is possible to observe imaging subjects, such as cells or the like, without causing an increase in the apparatus size. Provided is an observation apparatus including: a flat-plate-like stage formed of an optically transparent material on which a container accommodating a sample is placed; a deflecting member that is disposed below the stage and that deflects light coming from the sample on the stage into a substantially horizontal direction; an objective lens that collects the light deflected by the deflecting member; and an image-acquisition device that captures the light collected by the objective lens.

A laser scanning microscope includes: an objective that irradiates a specimen with a laser beam; a detection lens that condenses the laser beam that passes through the specimen, the detection lens being arranged so as to face the objective; an optical element that is removably arranged between an image plane on which the detection lens forms an image of the specimen and a first surface that is a lens surface closest to the specimen of the detection lens, the optical element converting the laser beam made incident on the optical element into diffused light or deflecting a portion of the laser beam made incident on the optical element; and a photodetector that detects detection light emitted from the optical element arranged between the image plane and the first surface to the image plane.

An apparatus and method for transmitted light illumination for light microscopes having changing effective entrance pupil of an objective. The apparatus has a light source for emitting an illuminating light beam, wherein a beam path of the illuminating light between a diaphragm edge and a sample held by a holding device is free from adjustable beam focussing components. In order to adapt the beam path of the illuminating light to the effective entrance pupil of the objective, the diaphragm edge may be variably positioned in the direction of the optical axis, wherein a position of the diaphragm edge in the direction of the optical axis can be varied irrespectively of a position of the diaphragm edge transversely to the optical axis.

Embodiments disclose a device for testing biological specimen. The device includes a sample carrier and a detachable cover. The sample carrier includes a specimen holding area. The detachable cover is placed on top of the specimen holding area. The detachable cover includes a magnifying component configured to align with the specimen holding area. The focal length of the magnifying component is from 0.1 mm to 8.5 mm. The magnifying component has a linear magnification ratio of at least 1.

A microscope for examining a specimen configured to receive a first light source or a second light source. The first light source being configured to emit a first output light through a first pupil, and the second light source being configured to emit a second output light through a second pupil that is different than the first pupil. The microscope comprises a frame, a source objective, and first and second optical assemblies. The first and second optical assemblies are removably connectable to the frame. The first optical assembly comprises a first set of optical elements that are configured to pass the first output light to an imaging pupil of the source objective, and the second optical assembly comprises a second set of optical elements configured to pass the second output light to the imaging pupil.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention an apparatus for a low numerical aperture exclusion imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include an electromagnetic illumination source for illuminating a portion of a specimen; and for collecting an image created by the electromagnetic radiation an objective lens optically coupled to the electromagnetic illuminated portion of the specimen. The apparatus also includes an optical blocking plate disposed between the objective lens and a focusing lens. The optical blocking plate is positioned to substantially block undesired electromagnetic radiation from image sources distally aligned in the same optical axis as the specimen. This invention is enhances narrow depth of field characteristics in imaging. It also enhances discreet imaging in a narrow focus field by eliminating some or most of the light which contributes to wide depth of field focus. This is useful for optical sectioning ranging from microscopy to photography. Optical sectioning provides the information necessary for 3D image reconstructions and other X Axis spatial measurements.

A structured illumination microscope includes a holographic image generator that generates a holographic image at a position overlapping an observation object. The structured illumination microscope further includes an image sensor that senses an interference image generated by overlapping the observation object with the holographic image. The structured illumination microscope additionally includes an image recovery processor that recovers an image of the observation object by comparing received data of the holographic image to received data of the interference image.

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 lamellar bone observation microscope includes: a light source; a condenser lens for focusing light emitted by the light source onto a sample; an objective lens on an opposite side of the sample from the condenser lens; a first polarizing plate between the light source and the condenser lens to pass only a polarization component of the light emitted by the light source; a second polarizing plate configured to pass only a polarization component of the light passed through the sample in accordance with a relative positional relationship with the first polarizing plate; a first wave plate between the first polarizing plate and the condenser lens to introduce a phase difference of λ/4 in a γ direction of the light passed through the first polarizing plate; and a second wave plate for introducing a phase difference of λ/4 in a γ direction of the light passed through the objective lens.