Carl Zeiss Jena Gmbh

Other

Carl Zeiss Microimaging Gmbh

European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Ulrich Simon

Ralf Wolleschensky

Stefan Wilhelm

Guenter Schoeppe

Hartmut Heinz

Bernhard Groebler

Sebastian Tille

Michael Stock

Gunter Moehler

Ulrich Meisel

Martin Voelcker

Robert Grub

Martin Gluch

Andreas Faulstich

Thomas Weyh

Ernst H Stelzer

Rainer Danz

Ernst Hans Karl Stelzer

Gunter Schmid

Gunter Schon

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

The use of one or more wavefront modulators in the observation beam path and/or illumination beam path of a microscope provide various advantageous results. Such modulators may be adapted to change the phase and/or the amplitude of light in such a way to carry out displacement and shaping of the focus in the object space and correction of possible aberrations. The possible areas of use include confocal microscopy, laser-assisted microscopy, conventional light microscopy and analytic microscopy.

Applications of adaptive optics in microscopy

A laser scanning microscope comprises at least one selectively switchable micro-mirror arrangement (DMD) in the illumination beam path and/or detection beam path which is used for the wavelength selection of dispersively divided illumination and/or object light such as reflection, fluorescence.

Arrangement for illumination and/or detection in a microscope

A laser scanning microscope with an AOTF in the laser input-coupling beam comprises a temperature gauge provided in the environment of the AOTF or in the vicinity thereof or connected therewith. A laser scanning microscope with an AOTF in the laser input-coupling beam path comprises that the AOTF and/or its environment are/is heated or cooled.

Laser scanning microscope with AOTF

A process for displaying three-dimensional point distributions in a laser scanning microscope with a tiltable fine focusing stage, wherein an actual scanned first raster point distribution is compared with a computer-generated second raster point distribution, and the first raster points are utilized for display in the second raster point distribution when the raster points in both distributions correspond with one another, while intermediate values are formed from points of the first raster point distribution lying in the vicinity of second raster points when there is no correspondence, wherein the position of these intermediate values corresponds to the position of the second raster points, or a displacement of the X/Y-scanner of the microscope and/or of the stage tilting means is carried out in a particularly advantageous manner with reference to a computer-determined two- or three-dimensional raster point distribution in such a way that the scanned raster points in and/or on an object correspond completely or partially to a predetermined, preferably stored raster point distribution. A tiltable fine focusing stage is also disclosed.

Process for controlling a laser scanning microscope with a tiltable fine focusing stage

An arrangement and corresponding method are provided for coupling radiation, preferably laser radiation, into a scanning head with a scanning unit in at least two dimensions. The radiation is focussed on an object via a microscope objective via at least one light-conducting fiber which is coupled with the scanning head. A collimator is arranged downstream of the fiber end at the scanning head for collimating the radiation exiting in a divergent manner at the fiber end.

Laser scanning microscope

A microscope, especially a laser scanning microscope, with illumination over one wavelength and/or a plurality of wavelengths, wherein a controlling of the intensity of at least one wavelength is carried out by at least one rotatable interference filter which is arranged in the illumination beam path, wherein the at least one wavelength is at least partially reflected out of the illumination beam path and a plurality of filters for different wavelengths can be arranged one behind the other in the illumination beam path.

Microscope, especially laser scanning microscope with rotatable interference filters

An arrangement and corresponding method are provided for coupling radiation, preferably laser radiation, into a scanning head with a scanning unit in at least two dimensions. The radiation is focussed on an object via a microscope objective via at least one light-conducting fiber which is coupled with the scanning head. A collimato is arranged downstream of the fiber end at the scanning head for collimatiing the radiation exiting in a divergent manner at the fiber end.

Laser scanning microscope with displaceable confocal diaphragms

System and method for monitoring the laser radiation coupled into a scanning head in a laser scanning microscope

The invention describes the use of multiphoton laser scanning microscopy in material analysis, especially in the analysis of structured silicon wafers by using non-optical detection techniques such as, e.g., OBIC (optical beam induced current) or LIVA (light induced voltage alteration). OBIC and LIVA make use of the generation of an electron-hole charge carrier current or a change in potential due to the scanning laser beam to localize lattice defects in crystalline materials, especially p-n junctions. By using the high localization of the multiphoton excitation in all three spatial coordinates using high-aperture microscope objectives in laser scanning microscopy, this technique enables nondestructive three-dimensional localization of crystal defects. Accordingly, this technique advantageously dispenses with the detection of lattice defects by using two-dimensional laser scanning microscopy and the subsequent required successive mechanical removal of the crystal structure in conjunction with electron microscopy for detecting the defects in the third dimension as well.

Three dimensional optical beam induced current (3-D-OBIC)

A process for confocal microscopy is disclosed in 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 light is carried out during the deflection of the laser beam from location to location, while the deflection continues in an uninterrupted manner. In this way, at least two locations of the specimen located next to one another are 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 that only 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.

The invention describes a highly compact laser scanning microscope with integrated short-pulse laser. Direct coupling or a fiber coupling of the short-pulse laser with the laser scanning microscope is advantageously circumvented with this arrangement. This compact arrangement of the laser in the scan module of the laser scanning microscope can be used in a particularly advantageous manner, for example, in multiphoton microscopy for three-dimensionally resolved microscopic analysis, e.g., of biological specimens. Because of the inherent depth discrimination of the multiphoton technique, confocal pinholes can be entirely omitted in the detection beam path. Accordingly, the microscope system can be realized in a very simple manner with respect to engineering and is particularly simple to handle with respect to application. Through the use of a short-pulse laser system in which a plurality of wavelengths are available simultaneously, diverse applications can be realized in one and the same compact microscope system.

Highly compact laser scanning microscope with integrated short-pulse laser

A laser scanning microscope with raster-type illumination at different wavelengths comprises laser radiation which is coupled in by light-conducting fibers, wherein the coupling in of the illumination is carried out by at least one dichroic beam splitter which reflects in at least one wavelength range and transmits in at least a second wavelength range.

A microscope with a short pulse laser which is coupled into the illumination beam path via light-conducting fiber, particularly with pulse lengths in the subpicosecond or picosecond range comprising an optical arrangement for wavelength-dependent temporal delay of the laser pulses being provided between the laser and light-conducting fiber. Further, structure for increasing the average output of the radiation coupled into the microscope by at least one dispersive element is arranged following an end of the light-conducting fiber in the illumination direction.

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Rothenstein, Germany

Ulrich Simon