Leica Microsystems Heidelberg Gmbh

Leica Microsystems Cms Gmbh

Other

Ruprecht Karts Universitaet Heidelberg

Joachim Bradl

Johann Engelhardt

Werner Knebel

Heinrich Ulrich

Christoph Cremer

Michael Hausmann

Holger Birk

Florian Fahrbach

Rafael Storz

Kai Walter

Soeren Alsheimer

Bernhard Schneider

Bernd Rinke

A data storage device includes an oligonucleotide nanostructure backbone with a plurality of attachment sites at predetermined positions, a plurality of labels configured to attach to the attachment sites, and at least a first orientation indicator and a second orientation indicator. Each label includes at least one dye, and an attachment oligonucleotide portion configured to attach to one of the attachment sites. The attachment oligonucleotide portion of each label includes a unique oligonucleotide sequence configured to bind to a complementary sequence of one of the attachment sites.

Data storage device and method for storing data using an oligonucleotide nanostructure backbone and labels with dyes

An illumination arrangement for a light sheet microscope, in which a sample is illuminated using an illumination light beam that is formed as a light sheet in a region of the sample, includes an illumination objective, a tube lens and astigmatic optics. The astigmatic optics are designed in such a way and arranged between the tube lens and the illumination objective in such a way that the illumination light beam exiting from the illumination objective is focused both in a sagittal plane and in a meridional plane.

Illumination arrangement for a light sheet microscope

The present invention relates to two new wave field microscopes, type I and type II, which are distinguished by the fact that they each have an illumination and excitation system, which include at least one real and one virtual illumination source, and at least one objective lens (in the case of type II), i.e., two objective lenses (in the case of type I), with the illumination sources and objective lenses being so positioned with respect to one another that they are suited for generating one-, two-, and three-dimensional standing wave fields in the object space. The calibration method in accordance with the present invention is adapted to this wave field microscopy and permits geometric distance measurements between fluorochrome-labeled object structures, whose distance can be less than the width at half maximum intensity of the effective point spread function. The invention relates moreover to a method of wave-field microscopic DNA sequencing.

Wave field microscope with detection point spread function

A microscope (), preferably a confocal laser scanning microscope, having at least one light source, a detector, and two objectives (), one of the objectives () being arranged on each of the two sides of the specimen plane () and the objectives () being directed toward one another and having a common focus; and at least one beam splitter () for distributing the illuminating light () to the objectives (), and a beam recombiner () for combining the detected light () coming from the objectives (), being provided in the illumination/detection beam path (), is characterized, for selectable, subsequent implementation of ultrahigh-resolution microscope techniques, in that the objectives () and the beam splitter/beam recombiner () are grouped into a modular assembly (); and the assembly () has an interface () for connection to the illumination/detection beam path () of the microscope ().

Microscope

The invention concerns an apparatus for beam deflection, in particular for scanning microscopy, a light beam being deflectable by a mirror arrangement that is alternatingly rotatable by a rotary drive. The apparatus for beam deflection makes possible maximum variability in terms of frequency range and maximally achievable oscillation frequency, and is thus usable in flexible and versatile fashion. It moreover allows almost any desired angular offset from the zero point position to be established, and is characterized in that the rotary drive comprises two mutually independent drive units which rotate the mirror arrangement, together or mutually independently, about a rotation axis.

Apparatus for beam deflection

A method and a scanning microscope for application of the method for optical-light scanning of a specimen; preferably in scanning microscopy, in particular in confocal laser scanning microscopy, the intensity of the light being regulated, is characterized, in order to optimize signal yield already during the actual data recording or measurement, in that regulation is accomplished as a function of the current focus position in the specimen region of the scanned, focused light beam.

Scanning microscope and a method of scanning a specimen

A microscope ( ), preferably a confocal laser scanning microscope, having at least one light source, a detector, and two objectives ( ), one of the objectives ( ) being arranged on each of the two sides of the specimen plane ( ) and the objectives ( ) being directed toward one another and having a common focus; and at least one beam splitter ( ) for distributing the illuminating light ( ) to the objectives ( ), and a beam recombiner ( ) for combining the detected light ( ) coming from the objectives ( ), being provided in the illumination/detection beam path ( ), is characterized, for selectable, subsequent implementation of ultrahigh-resolution microscope techniques, in that the objectives ( ) and the beam splitter/beam recombiner ( ) are grouped into a modular assembly ( ); and the assembly ( ) has an interface ( ) for connection to the illumination/detection beam path ( ) of the microscope ( ).

An optical arrangement in the beam path of a light source suitable for fluorescence excitation, preferably in the beam path of a confocal laser scanning microscope, with at least one spectrally selective element ( ) to inject the excitation light ( ) of at least one light source ( ) in the microscope and to extract the excitation light ( ) scattered and reflected on the object ( ) or the excitation wavelength from the light ( ) coming from the object ( ) through the detection beam path ( ) is characterized for variable configurations with the simplest construction in that excitation light ( ) of different wavelengths can be extracted by the spectrally selective element ( ). Alternatively, an optical arrangement like this is characterized in that the spectrally selective element ( ) can be adjusted to the excitation wavelength to be extracted.

Optical arrangement

A laser scanning microscope, preferably a confocal laser scanning microscope, having a laser light source for illuminating a specimen and a detector for detecting the light returning from the specimen, the specimen or parts thereof. The specimen is marked with markers that can be excited to emit. For the specific detection of preferably biological specimen structures, with high localization accuracy for the specimen structures, the laser light source emits exciting light substantially at one wavelength. Different markers emit light of different wavelengths, when irradiated with exciting light of substantially the same wavelength. The detector is embodied as a multi-band detector for the simultaneous detection of light at several wavelengths. A corresponding method for the detection of preferably biological specimens or specimen structures by laser scanning microscopy is described.

Laser scanning microscope with single wavelength excitation

An optical arrangement in the beam path of a light source suitable for fluorescence excitation, preferably in the beam path of a confocal laser scanning microscope, with at least one spectrally selective element ( ) to inject the excitation light ( ) of at least one light source ( ) in the microscope and to extract the excitation light ( ) scattered and reflected on the object or the excitation wavelength from the light ( ) coming from the object ( ) through the detection beam path( ) is characterized for variable configuration with the simplest construction in that excitation light ( ) of different wavelengths can be extracted by the spectrally selective element ( ). Alternatively, an optical arrangement like this is characterized in that the spectrally selective element ( ) can be adjusted to the excitation wavelength to be extracted.

Optical arrangement with a spectrally selective element

The invention concerns a method and devices for far field microscopy and flow fluorometry for geometric distance measurements between object structures, i.e. measurement structures, marked with fluorochromes, whereby the distances can be smaller than the half-intensity width of the principle maximum of the point spread function. In this method, the measurement structures are marked with fluorescent dyes with different or identical spectral signatures, according to their distances. Calibration targets with defined dimensions and arrays are marked with the same fluorescent dyes. Calibration targets and measurement structures are prepared separately or together on an object support and investigated microscopically or flow fluorometrically. In each case, two defined calibration targets with different spectral signatures are measured in consideration of the wavelength dependent imaging and localisation behaviour of the optical system used, the measurement values thus obtained are compared against the previously known real distance values and the difference is used as the calibration value for correcting the shift in the direction of the measurement structures caused by the optical system. In the case of the devices, these are calibration targets and an axial tomograph for undertaking the method described above.

Growing community of inventors

Schriesheim, Germany

Joachim Bradl