IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,314,072
Granted Patent B2
US 11,314,072 · App. 16/624,976 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

Microscope system with light sheet microscopy functional unit

Inventors: Werner Knebel (Kronau, DE); Florian Fahrbach (Mannheim, DE)
Assignee: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
G02B21/06G02B21/0076G02B21/24G02B21/367G02B21/0032
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,314,072
App. No.
16/624,976
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microscope system includes a light sheet microscopy functional unit and at least one further light microscopy functional unit. The light sheet microscopy functional unit has an illumination objective which is formed by a first objective and a detection objective which is formed by a separate second objective. The at least one further light microscopy functional unit has a detection objective that is formed by the second objective.

Claims (29)

1. A microscope system comprising:

a light sheet microscopy functional unit having an illumination objective which is formed by a first objective and a detection objective which is formed by a separate second objective; and

at least one further light microscopy functional unit comprising a detection objective that is formed by the second objective; and

an evaluation unit configured to perform a correlated image evaluation based on detection light in each case received by the light sheet microscopy functional unit and the further light microscopy functional unit by way of the commonly used detection objective that is formed by the second objective.

2. The microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the further light microscopy functional unit comprises an illumination objective that is formed by the second objective.

3. The microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a light deflection apparatus configured to deflect an illumination focus into a focal plane of the second objective, the illumination focus having been generated by the light sheet microscopy functional unit by way of the first objective.

4. The microscope system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the light deflection apparatus comprises at least one mirror element that deflects the illumination focus perpendicular to the optical axis of the second objective.

5. The microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the further light microscopy functional unit forms a point-scanning microscope.

6. The microscope system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the scanning microscope is a confocal microscope, a multiphoton microscope, a STED microscope, a RESOLFT microscope, an FCS microscope, a spectral microscope, a FLIM microscope or a CARS/SRS microscope.

7. The microscope system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the further light microscopy functional unit is a wide-field microscope.

8. A microscope system comprising:

a light sheet microscopy functional unit having an illumination objective which is formed by a first objective and a detection objective which is formed by a separate second objective;

at least one further light microscopy functional unit comprising a detection objective that is formed by the second objective; and

a microscope limb that is composed of a first limb part, at which the first objective is held, and a second limb part, at which the second objective is held lying opposite to the first objective.

9. The microscope system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the light sheet microscopy functional unit has an area sensor disposed in the second limb part and configured to detect the detection light received by the second objective.

10. The microscope system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the area sensor of the light sheet microscopy functional unit simultaneously forms a non-descanned detector assigned to the further light microscopy functional unit and configured to detect the detection light received by the second objective.

11. The microscope system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the further light microscopy functional unit comprises an illumination module assigned to the second limb part and configured to provide a point-scanning sample illumination and/or for a wide-field sample illumination.

12. The microscope system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the illumination module contains a scanner configured to provide for the point-scanning sample illumination.

13. The microscope as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the illumination module comprises a point sensor which forms a descanned detector for the detection light received by the second objective.

14. The microscope system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the light sheet microscopy functional unit comprises a light sheet generator which is assigned to the first limb part.

15. The microscope system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising an adjustment apparatus configured to adjust the second limb part or a subunit of the second limb part relative to the first limb part or relative to a subunit of the first limb part.

16. The microscope system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the adjustment apparatus comprises a displacement unit that is embodied to displace the second limb part or the subunit of the second limb part relative to the first limb part or relative to the subunit of the first limb part in a displacement plane that lies perpendicular to the optical axis of the first objective and perpendicular to the optical axis of the second objective.

17. The microscope system as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the adjustment apparatus comprises a pivot unit that is embodied to pivot the second limb part or the subunit of the second limb part relative to the first limb part or relative to the subunit of the first limb part about a pivot axis that lies perpendicular to the optical axis of the first objective and perpendicular to the optical axis of the second objective.

18. The microscope system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the adjustment apparatus comprises a displacement unit that is embodied to displace the second limb part or the subunit of the second limb part relative to the first limb part or relative to the subunit of the first limb part in a displacement plane that lies perpendicular to the optical axis of the first objective and perpendicular to the optical axis of the second objective, wherein the displacement unit is embodied to displace the subunit of the second limb part relative to the first limb part in the displacement plane lying parallel to a focal plane of the second objective and the pivot unit is embodied to pivot the second limb part in the totality thereof relative to the first limb part about the pivot axis.

19. The microscope system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the further light microscopy functional unit is assigned in the totality thereof to the second limb part.

20. The microscope system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein, in the use position and orientation of the microscope system, one of the two limb parts is a lower limb part and the other limb part is an upper limb part.

21. A method for microscopic imaging of a sample using a microscope system comprising a light sheet microscopy functional unit having an illumination objective which is formed by a first objective and a detection objective which is formed by a separate second objective, and at least one further light microscopy functional unit, the method comprising:

utilizing the second objective as a common detection objective, both for imaging the sample by the light sheet microscopy functional unit and for imaging the sample by the further light microscopy functional unit; and

performing a correlated image evaluation based on detection light in each case received by the light sheet microscopy functional unit and the further light microscopy functional unit by way of the commonly used detection objective that is formed by the second objective.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2019
From: KNEBEL, WERNER; FAHRBACH, FLORIAN
To: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS CMS GMBH
Reel/Frame 051374/0117 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2017 114 029.8 · Jun 23, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200218046A1 · Jul 9, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,510,741