Systems and methods for confocal imaging are described. In one implementation, a confocal imaging system may include a light source configured to emit excitation light having one or more wavelengths, a sample holder configured to hold a sample, a two-dimensional (2-D) imaging device, a first set of optical elements, and a second set of optical elements. The first set of optical elements may include a first spatial light modulator (SLM) and at least one lens. The first set of optical elements may together be configured to collimate the excitation light, apply a predetermined phase modulation pattern to the collimated excitation light, and illuminate the sample in an excitation pattern.

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 tissue—without 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.

A microscope (10) is described, having an aperture limiter (12), arranged in the beam path (22), for generating at least one optical channel (16; 18; 20). The aperture limiter (12) is embodied to set the aperture of the at least one optical channel (16; 18; 20). The aperture limiter (12) is furthermore embodied in such a way that in a first operating mode a first optical channel, and in a second operating mode at least one second optical channel, is selectively generatable. The aperture limiter is also arranged in the pupil plane of the beam path.

A nonlinear optical microscope is provided, including source of a pulsed laser beam; a spatial light modulator for modulating the spatial profile of the pulsed laser beam; an objective for guiding the modulated beam towards a slide intended to carry a specimen; and a detector for collecting signals originating from the specimen, wherein the spatial light modulator is designed to modulate the intensity and/or the phase of the pulsed laser beam on the rear pupil of the objective to produce a beam that is axially extended and confined in one or two lateral directions after focusing by the objective, and wherein the slide is placed on a motorized stage of a histology slide scanner assembly.

The invention provides imaging apparatus and methods useful for obtaining a high resolution image of a sample at rapid scan rates. A rectangular detector array having a horizontal dimension that is longer than the vertical dimension can be used along with imaging optics positioned to direct a rectangular image of a portion of a sample to the rectangular detector array. A scanning device can be configured to scan the sample in a scan-axis dimension, wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array and the shorter of the two rectangular dimensions for the image are in the scan-axis dimension, and wherein the vertical dimension for the rectangular detector array is short enough to achieve confocality in a single axis.

Various embodiments for a multi-focal selective illumination microscopy (SIM) system for generating multi-focal patterns of a sample are disclosed. The multi-focal SIM system performs a focusing, scaling and summing operation on each generated multi-focal pattern in a sequence of multi-focal patterns that completely scan the sample to produce a high resolution composite image.

The invention relates to an optical measuring system (1) and to a method for measuring an object (9) in a three-dimensional manner. The measuring system (1) has at least one lens array (5), a first convex lens (6) arranged downstream, a second convex lens (8) which is arranged further downstream and which faces an object (9) to be measured, and additionally a means (7) which absorbs incident light or deflects incident light out of the illuminating beam path and which is arranged upstream of the second convex lens (8) or on the second convex lens (8) on a second convex lens (8) face facing the first convex lens (6) in the region of the optical axis (10).

A microscope and method of microscopy having a light source for providing illumination light, a controllable manipulation device for generating in a variable manner an illumination pattern of the illumination light to be selected, an illumination beam path with a microscope lens for guiding the illumination pattern to a sample to be examined, a detector having a plurality of pixels for examining the fluorescent light emitted by the sample, a detection beam path for guiding the fluorescent light emitted by the sample to the detector, a main beam splitter for splitting illumination light and fluorescent light, a control and evaluation unit for controlling the manipulation device and for evaluating the data measured by the detector. The manipulation device is arranged in the illumination beam path upstream from the main beam splitter in the vicinity of an optically conjugated plane to the sample plane such that the pixel of the detector can be individually activated using the control and evaluation unit and in read out patterns to be selected and that the control and evaluation unit is designed to activate pixels of the detectors individually or in a selected read out pattern dependent on the selected illumination pattern.

Methods for single molecule localization microscopy may use a patterned illumination over the field of view. The patterned illumination may be dynamically adapted to the approximate positions of the detected fluorescent molecule emitters, allowing for increased signal-to-background for their single molecule localization.

A microscope comprising: a sample stage for mounting a sample; a light source for illuminating the sample when mounted on the sample stage; a detector; a first objective disposed on one side of the sample stage; a second objective disposed on an opposite side of the sample stage; a first set of optical elements defining a first light path from the first objective to the detector; and a second set of optical elements defining a second light path from the second objective to the detector. The first objective and the second objective have a common optical axis and are configured to image a sample mounted on the sample stage in a common focal plane. Furthermore, the first objective is a high magnification objective and the second objective is a low magnification objective. The provision of such a microscope configuration enables a sample to be viewed simultaneously at both high and low magnifications and/or allows rapid switching between high and low magnification images, for example to provide quasi-simultaneous viewing at both magnifications.