Carl Zeiss Jena Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Microimaging Gmbh

Other

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Stefan Wilhelm

Ulrich Simon

Ulrich Meisel

Guenter Schoeppe

Joerg Steinert

Hartmut Heinz

Bernhard Groebler

Gunter Moehler

Joerg Engel

Dieter Huhse

Ralf Engelmann

Joerg-Michael Funk

Bernhard Zimmermann

Thomas Mehner

Sebastian Tille

Burkhard Roscher

Ralf Wolleschensky

Tiemo Anhut

Daniel Schwedt

Michael Kempe

Matthias Reich

Tobias Kaufhold

Mirko Liedtke

Michel Stutz

Robert Hauschild

Ralph Lange

Ernst H Stelzer

Hans Schlüter

Thomas Klos

Ernst Hans Karl Stelzer

Alexander Liebhold

Eva Simbürger

Uwe Patz

Erhardt Hülβe

Matthias Danckwerts

Gunter MÖHLER

Jörg-Michael Funk

A fiber plug facilitates optical coupling of a light-guiding fiber to a plug receptacle and includes a plug housing for receiving and locking parts of the fiber plug in position relative to one another. The plug housing has: a fiber inlet and a fiber bearing for the spatially fixed reception of the fiber; optically downstream of the fiber bearing along a beam path, an optical lens for collecting light exiting at an end face of the light-guiding fiber and for collimating the collected light; and a coupling surface with an output of the beam path and with a coupling structure for connection to a receptacle structure that is complementary to the coupling structure. An adjustable optical element is arranged optically downstream of the fiber bearing in the beam path and has a first component of a magnetic coupling consisting of two components and a first component of a kinematic coupling.

Optical fiber plug connection and adjustment method

The invention relates to a device for multispot scanning microscopy, having a multicolor light source for providing at least one illumination light beam, having a splitting device for splitting the illumination light beam into a plurality of illumination sub-beams, having first optical means for providing an illumination optical path for guiding and focusing the individual illumination sub-beams respectively into a light spot on or in a specimen to be examined, having a scan unit for guiding the light spots over the probe, having a detection unit for detecting detection light emitted by the specimen in detection sub-beams after irradiation with the individual illumination sub-beams, having second optical means for providing a detection optical path for guiding the detection sub-beams to the detector unit, having a control and evaluation unit for controlling the scan unit and for evaluating the detection light detected by the detection unit. The device is characterized in that in the illumination optical path for at least two of the illumination sub-beams a controllable beam manipulation means is present for independent setting of a spectral composition of the respective illumination sub-beam, and the control and evaluation unit is designed to control the beam manipulation means. The invention further relates to a method for multispot scanning microscopy.

Device and method for multispot scanning microscopy

A method and apparatus for actuating an acousto-optical component for manipulating light passing therethrough, in particular for manipulating the illumination and/or detection light in the beam path of a microscope, preferably a laser scanning microscope, where the illumination and/or detection wavelength is adjusted by means of at least one frequency generator connected to the acousto-optical component and controlling the manipulation, the frequency generator generates a signal which generates a spectral spread for the intensity distribution of the wavelength of the illumination and/or detection light for ensuring a temperature-independent manipulation. Actuation is effected by two or more actuation signals in such a way that two or more overlapping and/or superposing main lobes of the transfer function of the acousto-optical component or main maxima are generated.

Method and apparatus for actuating an acousto-optical component

Optical switch for adjustable deflection of a light beam from the direction of an input point in the direction of one of several output points. The optical switch includes a switching mirror sensitive to changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature fluctuations. Also included is a rotatable capturing mirror, two beam splitters, and two spatially-resolving detectors. Both mirrors can be rotated around respective axes. A front beam splitter for the partial coupling of the light beam at the front detector that is optically positioned between the capturing mirror and the switching mirror, while the back beam splitter for the partial decoupling of the light beam at the back detector is arranged optically between the switching mirror and each of the output positions. A control unit is adapted to control the drive of the switching mirror on the basis of a signal from the back detector.

Optical switch and beam stabilization device

The invention makes it possible to adjust the light intensity of a laser scanning microscope laser beam in an economical manner and with high accuracy. A separate acousto-optic component can be omitted in that a light modulation section such as an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) or a semiconductor amplifier (SOA) is arranged directly at the laser diode, advisably at one of its front sides. It is nevertheless possible to control the light intensity economically and with high accuracy because the important parameters of the laser beam remain unchanged when the optical output power is changed by the light modulation section. The light modulation section is preferably formed integral with the laser diode in at least one material layer.

Laser scanning microscope having a laser diode comprising a light modulation device

A laser scanning microscope has an illumination beam path and a detection beam path. A beamsplitter is provided which reflects the illumination light in direction of the sample and transmits the detection light in direction of the detection arrangement. An additional beamsplitter is provided for reflecting the illumination light and for transmitting the detection light, this additional beamsplitter being arranged in the illumination beam path downstream of the first beamsplitter in the illumination direction, and this additional beamsplitter substantially transmits the illumination light reflected at the first beamsplitter and the detection light, but acquires a wavelength range substantially different from the first beamsplitter with respect to its reflectivity.

Laser scanning microscope

A laser scanning microscope (LSM) having variable light intensity and a control method for the same. The light intensity of a laser beam in an LSM has been controlled to date with high accuracy, but also high costs by means of an acousto-optic component (AOM, AOTF). According to the invention, such a component for beam modulation is to be omitted, without reducing the exposure accuracy of the sample. In an LSM, a directly modulated laser diode () is used with an electric control () for direct modulation. Said laser diode () has a turn-on delay of the light intensity that is dependent on the amount of the control variable when subjected to an electric control variable. The control () is designed such that the fluctuation width (&#x394;&#x394;t) of the occurring turn-on delay (&#x394;t) is smaller than 1 &#x3bc;s, particularly smaller than 0.5 &#x3bc;s. Thus highly exact modulation without an acousto-optic component is possible. A quick direct modulation is achieved particularly by the following steps: a) identifying that an intensity to be achieved or achieved with the laser diode () falls below a lower threshold value or is below the lower threshold value, b) de-energizing the laser diode (), c) providing an electric intermediate current, d) identifying that the intensity to be achieved exceeds an upper threshold value, e) flowing the intermediate current through the laser diode (), and f) setting the diode current according to the intensity to be achieved.

Laser scanning microscope having variable light intensity and control method for the same

A confocal laser microscope has at least one laser whose illumination light is transmitted in direction of the microscope objective by at least one light-conducting fiber. The light-conducting fiber can be plugged in at a housing which preferably comprises the scanning head of the microscope, and a holder is provided which can be plugged into the housing and into which the light-conducting fiber projects and which is provided at its end remote of the fiber with first optics for transmitting the laser light exiting divergently from the fiber in direction of at least partially displaceable collimating optics in the housing. At least second optics are advantageously arranged between the first optics and the collimating optics.

Confocal laser microscope

A process for confocal microscopyis disclosedin which laser light is coupled into a microscope beam path, directed successively with respect to time onto different locations of a specimen, and an image of the scanned plane is generated from the light reflected and emitted by the irradiated locations. A change in the spectral composition and in the intensity of lightisarecarried out during the deflection of the laser beam from location to location, while the deflection continues in an uninterrupted manner. In this way,so thatat least twoadjacentlocations of the specimenlocated next to one anotherare acted upon by light with different spectral characteristics and by laser radiation of different intensity. By periodically interrupting the coupling in of the laser light during the deflection of the microscope beam path,it is made possible thatonly selected portions of the image field are acted upon by the laser radiation. A laser scanning microscope for carrying out this process is also disclosed.A laser scanning microscope for carrying out this process is also disclosed.

Process and arrangement for confocal microscopy

Process for observing at least one sample region with a light raster microscope by a relative movement between the illumination light and sample via a first scanner along at least one scanning axis essentially perpendicular to the illumination axis wherein several illuminated sample points lie on a line and are detected simultaneously with a spatially resolving detector. At an angle to the plane of the relative movement, a second scanner is moved and an image acquisition takes place by coupling the movement of the first and second scanners and a three-dimensional sampling movement being done by the illumination of the sample. The second scanner is coupled to the movement of the first scanner such that straight and/or curved lines and/or plane and/or curved surfaces are scanned which are extended along at least one scanning direction of the first scanner as well as along the scanning direction of the second scanner.

Process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope with linear sampling

A method in which specimens are examined using a microscope. For an illuminated specimen, spatially coherent light with at least one continuous wavelength range or a continuously tunable wavelength range is generated, and one or more wavelengths or wavelength ranges in the illumination light are selected in dependence on the prespecified method of examination. The specimen is then illuminated with the illumination light with the selected wavelengths or wavelength ranges, the illumination light and the emission light coming from the specimen are then subsequently separated, whereby the back radiated illumination light is suppressed in the detection beam before the detection and the emission light is detected. In such a method, the selection of the wavelengths or the wavelength ranges of the illumination light is tuned by means of the separation of the detection light and the illumination light and the suppression of the illumination light in such a manner that a prespecified control variable (R) is optimized.

Method and apparatus for the examination of specimens

An arrangement for the detection of the illumination radiation in a laser scanning microscope, wherein a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at the main color splitter, wherein light transmitted through the main color splitter is advantageously detected and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected before coupling into a light-conducting fiber and/or a portion of the illumination radiation is coupled out and detected at a beam splitter arranged downstream of a light-conducting fiber.

Arrangement for the detection of illumination radiation in a laser scanning microscope

Process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope by a relative movement between the illumination light and sample via a first scanner along at least one scanning axis essentially perpendicular to the illumination axis wherein at an angle to the plane of the relative movement, preferably perpendicular thereto a second scanner is moved and an image acquisition takes place by the movement of the first and second scanners being coupled and a three-dimensional sampling movement being done by the illumination of the sample wherein the second scanner is coupled to the movement of the first scanner in such a manner that straight and/or curved lines and/or plane and/or curved surfaces are scanned which are extended along at least one scanning direction of the first scanner as well as along the scanning direction of the second scanner.

Process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope

Process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope by a relative movement between the illumination light and sample via first scanning means along at least one scanning axis essentially perpendicular to the illumination axis wherein the illumination light illuminates the sample in parallel at several points or regions and several points or regions are detected simultaneously wherein at an angle to the plane of the relative movement, preferably perpendicular thereto, second scanning means are moved and an image acquisition takes place by the movement of the first and second scanning means being coupled and a three-dimensional sampling movement being done by the illumination of the sample wherein the second scanning means are coupled to the movement of the first scanning means in such a manner that straight and/or curved lines and/or plane and/or curved surfaces are scanned which are extended along at least one scanning direction of the first scanning means as well as along the scanning direction of the second scanning means.

Process for the observation of at least one sample region with a light raster microscope with light distribution in the form of a point

An arrangement in the illumination beam path of a laser scanning microscope, comprising a mirror which can be introduced into the beam path for coupling in at least one additional wavelength, and a method for the operation of a laser scanning microscope with a mirror which can be swiveled in rapidly for coupling at least one additional wavelength into the illumination beam path, wherein the swiveling process is synchronized with the illumination control by a control unit in such a way that at least one additional wavelength is coupled into the illumination beam path when the mirror is swiveled out.

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Jena, Germany

Stefan Wilhelm