A spectroscopic microscope according to the present embodiment includes a light source that generates laser light that enters a sample, a multi-slit part having a plurality of slits through which signal light branched by the edge filter passes, the slits being arranged in the slit width direction, and a spectrometer that disperses the signal light having passed through the slits in the dispersion direction intersecting the slit length direction and detects the signal light with a two-dimensional array photodetector.

An optical scanning system adapted to scan a sample on a chip is provided. The optical scanning system includes at least one optical scanning head, at least one scanning light source, a light receiving device and a processor. Each of at least one optical scanning head includes a focusing light source, a first optical guiding structure, and a control unit. The first optical guiding structure is configured to guide the focusing light emitted from the focusing light source to travel to the sample, and the first optical guiding structure is configured to guide the at least one scanning light emitted from the at least one scanning light source to the sample to generate a secondary light. The control unit is configured to control the first optical guiding structure to keep the focusing light and at least one scanning light focusing on a surface of the chip. The light receiving device receives the secondary light and generates a scanning electronic signal. The processor is electrically coupled to the light receiving device to dispose the scanning electronic signal.

The disclosed technology brings histopathology into the operating theatre, to enable real-time intra-operative digital pathology. The disclosed technology utilizes confocal imaging devices image, in the operating theatre, optical slices of fresh tissuewithout the need to physically slice and otherwise process the resected tissue as required by frozen section analysis (FSA). The disclosed technology, in certain embodiments, includes a simple, operating-table-side digital histology scanner, with the capability of rapidly scanning all outer margins of a tissue sample (e.g., resection lump, removed tissue mass). Using point-scanning microscopy technology, the disclosed technology, in certain embodiments, precisely scans a thin optical section of the resected tissue, and sends the digital image to a pathologist rather than the real tissue, thereby providing the pathologist with the opportunity to analyze the tissue intra-operatively. Thus, the disclosed technology provides digital images with similar information content as FSA, but faster and without destroying the tissue sample itself.

An image acquisition device includes a spatial light modulator modulating irradiation light, a control unit controlling a modulating pattern so that a plurality of light converging points are formed in an observation object, a light converging optical system converging the modulated irradiation light, a scanning unit scanning positions of the plurality of light converging points in the observation object in a scanning direction intersecting an optical axis of the light converging optical system, and a photodetector configured to detect a plurality of observation lights generated from the plurality of light converging points. The control unit sets a center spacing between adjacent light converging points on the basis of the positions of the plurality of light converging points in a direction of the optical axis.

The invention relates to an optical arrangement, particularly for the detection beam path of a multi-spot scanning microscope, comprising a detection plane, in which a detector is positionable, comprising a dispersive device for spectrally splitting detection light. According to the invention, the optical arrangement is characterized in that a distorting optical unit is present for guiding the detection light into the detection plane, said distorting optical unit being arranged downstream of the dispersive device and upstream of a detection plane, and in that a rotating device is present for the relative rotation of a luminous field of the spectrally separated detection light and the distorting optical unit. The invention additionally relates to a multi-spot scanning microscope and a method for operating a microscope.

Systems and methods for hyperspectral imaging are described. In one implementation, a hyperspectral imaging system includes a sample holder configured to hold a sample, an illumination system, and a detection system. The illumination system includes a light source configured to emit excitation light having one or more wavelengths and a diffractive element. The illumination system is configured to structure the excitation light into a predetermined two-dimensional pattern at a conjugate plane of a focal plane in the sample, spectrally disperse the structured excitation light in a first lateral direction, and illuminate the sample in an excitation pattern with the one or more wavelengths dispersed in the first lateral direction.

An apparatus for characterizing luminescent entities by excitation comprising: a substrate (6) being in contact with a solution comprising luminescent entities; a source of electromagnetic radiation (4) providing at least a primary beam of radiation (8); an objective (5); a first optical element (1) capable of transforming the intensity profile of the primary beam (8) into an arbitrary secondary intensity profile (distribution) (9); a second optical element (2) capable of separating (discriminating) radiation by wavelength; and a detector (7), where the arbitrary secondary intensity profile has at least an off-center circular continuous intensity distribution (33) focused on the back focal plane (12) of the objective forming a collimated beam (10) capable of creating an evanescent field on the side of the substrate where the solution comprising luminescent entities are located, where the evanescent field excites the luminescent entities thereby creating emission radiation separated by the second optical element (2) and captioned by the detector (7). The invention also relates to an apparatus comprising two optical elements providing a final third intensity profile (distribution) which is the convolution of two mathematical transformations corresponding to each of optical element one and four, respectively.

A method for flexible inspection of a sample includes forming an input beam using a beam source, blocking a portion of the input beam using an input mask, and forming a shaped beam from a portion of the input beam. The shaped beam is received at a first portion of an objective lens and focused onto a sample. A reflected beam is collected at a second portion of the objective lens. Scattered light is collected at the first and second portions of the objective lens and at a third portion of the objective lens. The scattered light is received at a dark-field detector module and a portion of the scattered light is directed to a dark-field detector. The dark-field detector module includes an output mask having one or more output apertures that allow at least part of the scattered light that passes through the third portion of the object lens to pass as the portion of the scattered light that is directed to the dark-field detector.

A structured illumination microscopy (SIM) system for generating single focal point patterns of a sample is disclosed. The SIM system performs a focusing, scaling and summing operation on each single focal point that completely scan the sample to produce a high resolution composite image.

Systems and methods for hyperspectral imaging are described. In one implementation, a hyperspectral imaging system includes a sample holder configured to hold a sample, an illumination system, and a detection system. The illumination system includes a light source configured to emit excitation light having one or more wavelengths, and a first set of optical elements that include a first spatial light modulator (SLM), at least one lens, and at least one dispersive element. The illumination system is configured to structure the excitation light into a predetermined two-dimensional pattern at a conjugate plane of a focal plane in the sample, spectrally disperse the structured excitation light in a first lateral direction, and illuminate the sample in an excitation pattern with the one or more wavelengths dispersed in the first lateral direction.