Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Jena Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Microimaging Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Ag

Tobias Kaufhold

Daniel Schwedt

Tiemo Anhut

Matthias Wald

Johannes Knoblich

Thomas Kalkbrenner

Helmut Lippert

Johannes Winterot

Mirko Liedtke

Beate Böhme

Frank Klemm

Burkhard Roscher

Ralf Joram

Daniel Haase

Stefan Wilhelm

Thomas Egloff

Joerg Siebenmorgen

Detlef Hein

Saskia Pergande

Matthias John

Thomas Serfling

Jörg Ritter

Franziska Tischer

Ralf Michael Joram

Rainer Robotta

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.

Method and apparatus for capturing an image of an object using a scanning microscope

An optical assembly in a laser scanning microscope, having an optical scanning unit providing a first pupil plane, a first beam deflecting device, made of a first scanner arranged on the first pupil plane, for scanning excitation radiation in a first coordinate direction, a first focusing device generating a second pupil plane, optically conjugated to the first pupil plane, and a second beam deflecting device for deflecting the excitation radiation. The second deflecting device is arranged on the second pupil plane. A second focusing device to generate a third pupil plane, is optically conjugated to the first pupil plane and the second pupil plane. A third beam deflecting device is arranged on the third pupil plane, and a variable beam deflecting device is provided to switch an optical beam path between a first beam path and a second beam path.

Optical assembly for scanning excitation radiation and/or manipulation radiation in a laser scanning microscope, and laser scanning microscope

The invention relates to an optical assembly for scanning excitation radiation and/or manipulation radiation in a laser scanning microscope. The optical assembly according to the invention is characterized in that in addition to a first and a second focusing device, a third focusing device is provided in order to generate a third pupil plane which is optically conjugated to a first pupil plane, a third beam deflecting device is arranged on the third pupil plane in order to deflect the excitation radiation and/or manipulation radiation, a first beam deflecting means is provided between the second focusing device and the second pupil plane and the second pupil plane and the third focusing device in order to deflect the excitation radiation and/or manipulation radiation coming from the third focusing device while bypassing the second beam deflecting device in the direction of the second focusing device, a fourth focusing device is provided for generating a fourth pupil plane which is optically conjugated to the third pupil plane, and a variable second beam deflecting means is arranged on the fourth pupil plane in order to switch an optical beam path between a first beam path and a second beam path. The invention additionally relates to a laser scanning microscope.

An actuator for adjusting a movable element in a beam path of an optical arrangement, includes the movable element, a carrier, and at least one SMA element, said SMA element being connected to the movable element and being designed so as to be supported on the carrier such that when the extension of the SMA element alters, a directed force effect is produced between said movable element and carrier.

Actuator for adjusting a movable element, uses and methods of adjustment

A method for the determination and compensation of geometric imaging errors which occur during the imaging of an object by sequential single or multispot scanning by means of a microscopic imaging system, which includes: establishing a reference object with a defined plane structure; and generating an electronic image data set of this structure free of geometric imaging errors. Then, generating at least one electronic actual image data set with the imaging system; comparing the actual image data set with the reference image data set with respect to the locations of those pixels which have the same object point as origin in each case; and determining location deviations in the actual image data set compared to the reference image data set.

Method for the determination and compensation of geometric imaging errors

A light sheet microscope which includes an illumination apparatus generating coherent illumination light for several illumination wavelengths, a beam-shaping module generating a light sheet from illumination light, an illumination objective illuminating a specimen with the light sheet and a detection objective for imaging light which is emitted by the specimen onto a laminar detector, wherein the optical axes of the detection objective and of the illumination objective are not parallel to each other. In such a light sheet microscope, the beam-shaping module includes a phase-selective element with several selection areas separated from each other spatially, wherein in each case one selection area is assigned to one specific illumination wavelength, and wherein a phase distribution predefined for the respective illumination wavelength is impressed on each selection area. The beam-shaping module further includes means for the sequential or simultaneous selection of the selection areas in dependence on the respective illumination wavelength.

Light sheet microscope with a phase-selective element for illumination

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

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

Microscope having low distortion aberration

An adjusting mechanism of a sample holder is provided. The adjusting mechanism includes a base with drives arranged thereon, and a carrier that is adjustable by means of the drives and is designed to receive the sample holder. A coupling element for each drive, which coupling element is designed to connect the base and the carrier. Each coupling element has at least one linear degree of freedom and also a rotary degree of freedom. The carrier is linearly movable, by means of the coupling elements, along a respective movement axis directed from the coupling element to the carrier. Also provided is a microscope that includes such an adjusting mechanism, along with a method for adjusting the orientation of a sample holder.

Adjusting mechanism of a sample holder, microscope with adjusting mechanism, and method

A method for SPIM microscopy, wherein the sample is moved continuously, and a plurality of images are taken at time intervals by means of a detection arrangement during the movement. The image capture duration or exposure time is dimensioned such that the movement path of the sample lies within a predetermined resolution range of the detection objective. The speed of the sample movement is determined and set by the image capture duration or exposure time and/or the distortion of the point spread function generated by the sample movement of the sample. The image blur is corrected computationally by the respective image capture duration and the movement speed. A sharp image is generated in this way. The actual optical section thickness of the light sheet is determined from the light sheet thickness, and the movement speed is determined therefrom and from user settings.

Microscope and method for SPIM microscopy

Disclosed is a method for varying the size of the scanning field of a multifocal laser scanning microscope, said scanning field being scanned in X columns and Y lines, and n laser spots being arranged at a distance d from one another in the scanning field along the slow scanning axis in the sample plane, the distance between the scanned lines in the sample plane being a=d/K, where K&#x3b5;N, the size of the scanning field being varied by varying K. After scanning K lines, a vertical skip is made, e.g. a skip of (n&#x2212;1)&#xd7;K+1 lines in the scanning direction or (n+1)&#xd7;K&#x2212;1 lines against the scanning direction until at least Y lines have been scanned.

Method for varying the scanning field of a laser scanning microscope

A microscope comprising multiple optical systems in the imaging beam path and at least one subassembly, the optical effect of which in relation to the imaging beam path can be modified by controlling the subassembly, e.g. a group of lenses or a diaphragm that can be moved in the direction of the optical axis, a diaphragm having a variable aperture, a digital zoom device, a shutter, or a focusing device. The microscope includes a control unit which is designed to generate control signals for the subassembly in a first mode of operation to regulate or control the functional parameters exclusively of the imaging optical system with which the subassembly is associated, and additionally in a second mode of operation to regulate or control the functional parameters of the entire optical system of the microscope.

Microscope comprising multiple optical systems in the imaging beam path

The present invention serves to vary and adjust the transmitted light illumination in microscopes, particularly with respect to the numerous, different illumination situations. The device, according to the invention comprises modules for darkfield illumination, brightfield illumination, and/or diffuse illumination and/or for adapting the object field in which an illumination unit can be selectively coupled to different modules and in which actuators are provided for implementing the adjustments within the modules and for producing the desired connections, these actuators being operated by means of operating elements of a control unit. The adjustments within the modules and the implemented connections are detected and are stored in the control unit so as to be reproducible. The proposed solution makes possible a broad application by means of an ergonomic arrangement of the operating elements and adjusting and/or changing the illumination situations in a simple and reproducible manner.

Device for varying and adjusting transmitted illumination for microscopes

The invention is directed to an arrangement and a method for imaging depth-structured objects and for calibrating the imaging in connection therewith, preferably for generating stereoscopic images from different observation planes at different depth levels of an object. According to the invention, in an optical arrangement for imaging depth-structured objects comprising an entrance pupil, an aperture diaphragm, and a receiver surface positioned in the imaging beam path, at least one optical assembly which is displaceable in axial direction is provided between the aperture diaphragm and the receiver surface, and the displacement of this optical assembly within a predetermined length range causes a change in the focus position while the magnification remains the same. Accordingly, the idea of the invention consists in introducing an optical element between the aperture diaphragm and the receiver surface or using an existing optical element in such a way that the defocusing is compensated through its effect without causing a shifting of the image position.

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Jena, Germany

Tobias Kaufhold