Beam deflection units in light-scanning microscopes are usually arranged in planes that are conjugate to the objective pupil. The scan optics, which is required for generating the conjugate pupil planes, is complicated and not very light efficient. The invention is intended to enable a higher image quality, simpler adjustment and a lower light loss microscope.

The optical system comprises a concave mirror (36) for imaging a respective point of the first and second beam deflection units (30A, 30B) onto one another. The concave mirror (36), the first beam deflection unit (30A), and the second beam deflection unit (30B) are arranged such that the illumination beam path is reflected exactly once at the concave mirror (36). A first distortion caused by the concave mirror (36) and a second distortion of the imaging caused by the first and second beam deflection units (30A, 30B) at least partly compensate for one another.

A microscope system for stitching element images to generate a stitched image includes an element image obtaining unit configured to obtain the element image; a user image obtaining unit configured to capture a plurality of user-specified areas being an area of a sample specified by a user to obtain a plurality of user images; a rectangle area deciding unit configured to decide a rectangle area including the plurality of user-specified areas; a candidate area deciding unit configured to decide, as a candidate area, each of a plurality of areas having a size of a field of view of the element image obtaining unit arranged in a grid-like manner in the rectangle area so as to fill the rectangle area; and an element area selecting unit configured to select an element area to obtain the element image, from the plurality of candidate areas.

Methods, kits, and systems for fixation of RNA permitting its detection in intact tissue, such as, large volume of mammalian tissue are disclosed. The methods, kits, and systems utilize carbodiimide-based chemistry to stably retain RNAs in tissue clarified using CLARITY. Also provided herein are methods, kits, and systems for detection of RNAs in clarified tissue.

Systems and methods are provided that combine an amplitude modulation SLM with a phase modulating SLM in the same optical illumination system. The combination of the amplitude modulation SLM and the phase modulation SLM allows the optical illumination to compensate for the limitations of amplitude modulation SLM by using phase modulating SLM and conversely to compensate for the limitations of phase modulation SLM by using amplitude modulating SLM.

A confocal microscope is provided that includes one or more lasers focused by an optical system into a line on the surface of a sample mounted to a stage. The microscope further includes at least one linear array detector that is optically conjugated to the focused line. The stage permits movement of the sample with respect to all other components of the microscope, which remain stationary.

A method and corresponding optical device to correct spherical aberration in an optical path caused by an electrically tunable lens (ETL) within the optical path. The method includes placing within the optical path and in working relationship with the ETL an aspherical correction lens dimensioned and configured to reduce spherical aberration in a light beam exiting the ETL.

Disclosed herein are systems for imaging of samples using an array of micro optical elements and methods of their use. In some embodiments, an optical chip comprising an array of micro optical elements moves relative to an imaging window and a detector in order to scan over a sample to produce an image. A focal plane can reside within a sample or on its surface during imaging. Detecting optics are used to detect back-emitted light collected by an array of micro optical elements that is generated by an illumination beam impinging on a sample. In some embodiments, an imaging system has a large field of view and a large optical chip such that an entire surface of a sample can be imaged quickly. In some embodiments, a sample is accessible by a user during imaging due to the sample being exposed while disposed on or over an imaging window.

A method for capturing an image of an object includes guiding a scanning beam along a scanning trajectory over the object using a scanner, with the scanning movement being periodic in a direction. The scanning movement is sampled at a first sampling frequency for detecting and capturing a current position of the scanner as position values and radiation from the object is captured as captured sampling values at a second sampling frequency. Current values of the amplitude and the phase of the scanning movement are calculated. A current amplitude, phase and/or frequency and future changes in the amplitude, phase and/or frequency over time are calculated. An image grid is set, with grid elements being assigned the sampling values based on times at which the scanning beam crosses or will cross at least one boundary of the grid elements.

Methods and system for chromatic confocal microscopy are described. One example chromatic confocal microscope system includes a hyperchromatic objective lens configured to focus the light of different wavelengths onto different corresponding focal planes that are separated from one another within a sample object, focusing optics positioned to receive multi-spectral light reflected from the sample object after passing through the hyperchromatic objective lens, a detection slit to receive light from the focusing optics and to block at least a portion of light that is incident thereon, and a grating positioned to receive light after passing through the detection slit and to produce spatially separated light of different wavelengths to enable the detection of spatially separated light by an imaging sensor. The described chromatic confocal microscopes may be used to develop low-cost chromatic confocal endoscopes for disease diagnosis of human internal organs in vivo.

A system having a macroscopic imager, a microscopic imager, and a stage for moving a substrate supporting ex-vivo tissue with respect to each of the imagers to enable the macroscopic imager to capture macroscopic images, and the microscopic imager to capture optically formed sectional microscopic images on or within the tissue, when presented to the tissue, via the optically transparent material of the substrate. A computer system controls movement of the stage, and receives the macroscopic and microscopic images. A display is provided for displaying the macroscopic and microscopic images when received by the computer system. The tissue is verified as being in an orientation at least substantially flush against the upper surface of the substrate by being in focus in displayed macroscopic images prior to imaging by the microscopic imager, and if needed, any portion of the tissue unfocused is manually positioned until desired tissue orientation is achieved.