EP3642659A2

EP3642659A2 - Microscope system with light sheet microscopy functional unit

Info

Publication number: EP3642659A2
Application number: EP18742409.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Werner Knebel; Florian Fahrbach
Original assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
Current assignee: Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH
Priority date: 2017-06-23
Filing date: 2018-06-25
Publication date: 2020-04-29
Also published as: US11314072B2; JP7397673B2; CN110799878A; WO2018234582A3; WO2018234582A2; JP2020524822A; US20200218046A1; CN110799878B

Abstract

The invention relates to a microscope system (10) comprising a light sheet microscopy functional unit (20, 24, 30), the illumination lens thereof being formed by a first lens (20) and the detection lens thereof being formed by a separate second lens (24), and comprising at least one other light sheet microscopic functional unit (24, 48). The other light microscopy functional unit (24, 48) comprises a detection lens which is formed by the second lens (24).

Description

Microscope system with light sheet microscopic functional unit

The invention relates to a microscope system which comprises a light-sheet microscopic functional unit whose illumination objective is formed by a first objective and whose detection objective is formed by a separate second objective, and at least one further light-microscopic functional unit.

In the recent past, especially in fluorescence microscopy so-called light-sheet or optical disc microscopes are used, in which only a thin layer is illuminated in the sample. Compared to conventional fluorescence microscopes, light-sheet microscopes thus enable higher resolution and lower light exposure, thereby avoiding unwanted effects due to bleaching or light-induced stress in biological samples. Light sheet microscopes are therefore particularly useful for fluorescence studies on living organisms.

Various optical arrangements for the realization of a light-sheet microscope are known from the prior art. In the context of the present invention, particular mention should be made here of arrangements in which illumination and detection take place via two separate objectives. In this case, the illumination objective and the detection objective are usually arranged perpendicular to one another. However, this vertical arrangement of the lenses has the particular disadvantage that it is difficult to integrate into already existing microscope systems, e.g. Confocal systems, integrate.

Light-sheet microscopes are known in the prior art in which the illumination objective and the detection objective face away from the above-mentioned right-angled arrangement along the vertical axis of the microscope stand. An example of this is the document DE 10 2011 054 914 AI disclosed. In order to be able to generate a light sheet lying perpendicularly to the detection axis in such an arrangement, the illuminating light bundle passing through the illumination objective along the vertical tripod axis is directed onto a mirror system which deflects the illuminating light bundle at a right angle in order to place the sample in the horizontally lying focal plane of the light source To illuminate the detection lens with a light sheet. The target area of the sample lying in the focal plane is then imaged onto a camera sensor by the detection objective. From document US 9 057 879 B2 a microscope system is known which combines a light sheet microscopic functional unit with a confocal microscopic functional unit. In this system, the light sheet illumination as well as the confocal illumination and detection take place via the same microscope objective. For the light sheet detection, however, a separate lens is provided.

In the aforementioned microscope system, since the light sheet microscopic functional unit and the confocal microscopic functional unit operate with different detection objectives, it is not readily possible for the image data obtained from the two different microscopy applications to be related to each other, i.e. to each other. can be correlated with each other.

Based on this prior art, it is the object of the present invention to further develop a microscope system formed from a light-sheet microscopic functional unit and a further light-microscopic functional unit such that a simple and precise evaluation of the image data obtained with the two functional units becomes possible.

The invention solves this problem by a microscope system, comprising a light sheet microscopic functional unit whose illumination objective by a first lens and the detection lens is formed by a separate second lens, and at least one further light microscopic functional unit, said further light microscopic functional unit having a detection objective, which is formed by the second lens.

Thus, the invention provides a microscope system through which a light sheet microscopic functional unit and another light microscopic, e.g. Confocal microscopic functional unit are combined with each other such that both functional units receive the originating from the sample to be imaged detection light with one and the same detection lens. The use of a single detection objective makes it possible to image the sample using different microscopy methods, without a sample transfer being necessary when changing from one method to the other. This considerably facilitates the handling of the microscope system. It is thus made possible by a microscope system according to the invention to carry out correlative microscopy for light-sheet microscopy and a further light-microscopic method in a particularly simple and error-minimizing manner.

The microscope system according to the invention can be used in particular in such a way that the sample is first gently and quickly examined by light sheet microscopy and then imaged to obtain additional image data by the further light microscopic functional unit. Here it is conceivable that such a further recording of the sample, for example, allows a higher resolution of interesting sample regions.

In a preferred embodiment, the microscope system has an evaluation unit for correlated image analysis on the basis of detection light, which receive the light sheet microscopic functional unit and the further light microscopic functional unit in each case via the shared detection lens formed by the second lens. This advantageous correlated Image evaluation is made possible by the fact that the two microscopic functional units each receive the detection light from one and the same sample plane, which is defined by the focal plane of the detection objective that is jointly assigned to the two functional units. Correlated image evaluation in the context of the present invention is an evaluation of the image data using both image data obtained by means of the light-sheet microscopic functional unit and image data obtained by means of the further light-microscopic functional unit. In particular, a correlated image analysis may include a billing of two or more images or partial images of the two functional units with one another to form at least one resulting image, for example by addition (superimposition) or subtraction or other mathematical operations. The further light-microscopic functional unit preferably has an illumination objective, which is formed by the second objective. In this embodiment, therefore, the detection objective shared by both microscopic functional units simultaneously represents the illumination objective of the further light-microscopic functional unit. The other (first) objective is then assigned solely to the light-sheet microscopic functional unit, namely as the illumination objective.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the microscope system has a microscope stand, which is composed of a first stand part, on which the first lens is held, and a second stand part, on which the second lens is held opposite the first lens. The aforementioned microscope stand is to be understood as meaning a microscope body which has a number of connections (ports) which provide mechanical interfaces, in particular for the purpose of supplying light and removing light. Via these interfaces, for example, cameras, eyepieces, scanners and manipulators can be attached to the Attach microscope stand. Accordingly, the above-mentioned stand parts are to be understood as a microscope sub-body of which the microscope stand or the microscope body is composed. In the context of the present invention, the two stand parts are functionally separated from each other by a microscope stage having a sample chamber for receiving the sample to be imaged. Assuming by way of example that one of the two stand parts in the operating position of the microscope system is a lower stand part and the other is an upper stand part, the aforementioned functional separation of the stand parts means that the illumination and detection components associated with the lower stand part operate from below the microscope stage be while the upper tripod part associated lighting and detection components from above the microscope stage are effective. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the microscope system according to the invention can be embodied both as an upright microscope and as an inverted microscope. In the present case, an upright microscope is understood to mean an arrangement in which the common detection objective is arranged above the microscope stage. In contrast, the common detection lens is in an inverted microscope design below the sample table.

The microscope system preferably has a light deflection device which deflects an illumination focus generated by the light-sheet-microscopic functional unit through the first objective into a focal plane of the second objective. Such a light deflection device makes it possible, even in an arrangement in which the two objectives of the microscope system face each other, that the light sheet can be generated coplanar with the focal plane of the detection objective. The light deflection device preferably has at least one mirror element which deflects the illumination focus perpendicular to the optical axis of the second objective. This mirror element is preferably attached to the first lens or to the second lens, but it is also conceivable attachment to other elements of the microscope system, such as the cover glass or one of the two parts of the stand. In a preferred embodiment, two mirror elements are provided on both sides of the optical axis.

In a special embodiment, the light-sheet microscopic functional unit has an area sensor arranged in the second stand part for detecting the detection light received by the second objective. The surface sensor is designed for example as a CCD or CMOS camera.

In a further embodiment, the further light-microscopic functional unit comprises an illumination module assigned to the second stand part for spot-scanning sample illumination and / or for far-field sample illumination. It should be expressed by the term "assigned" to express that the aforementioned illumination module can be arranged both within the second stand part and coupled via a suitable interface to the second stand part.

In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting module includes a scanner for spot scanning sample illumination. Such a scanner can be embodied, for example, in the form of a mirror scanner known per se, as used in a conventional confocal microscope.

In the aforementioned case, the illumination module in a special embodiment has a point sensor which forms a so-called descanned detector for the detection light received by the second objective. As descanned detector receives the point sensor of the detection light after its return to the scanner as a stationary light beam.

A light source, which provides light for the illumination module, can be integrated into the illumination module or else coupled, for example via an optical fiber. In this case, the light source itself may comprise a plurality of individual light sources, for example a plurality of lasers and / or laser diodes (in particular of different wavelengths). In addition or as an alternative, the area sensor of the light-sheet microscopic functional unit can at the same time form a non-descanned detector associated with the further light-microscopic functional unit for the detection light received by the second objective. In this case, the detection light received by the further light-microscopic functional unit is not (or not exclusively) returned to the point-by-point scanning scanner, but passed directly to the area sensor, which allows a direct comparison of the image data captured by the two microscopic functional units.

In one embodiment, the first stand part also comprises a detector, preferably a non-descanned detector, which allows additional or alternative detection via the first stand part.

In a preferred embodiment, the light sheet microscopic functional unit comprises a light sheet generator which is associated with the first stand part. Such a light sheet generator includes, for example, a light source and a downstream of the light source scanner through which the illumination focus is moved so that a quasi-static light sheet is constructed. In an alternative embodiment, instead of the scanner, it is also possible to provide a light-emitting device, for example a cylindrical lens. However, the light source (for example, one or more lasers) need not be part of the light sheet generator, but can only be connected to this, for example via an optical fiber. It is conceivable that the light sources of the light sheet generator (the light sheet microscope functional unit) and the lighting module (the other light microscopic functional unit) are housed in the same housing or even at least partially identical, so for example, a laser for both light sources is used.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the microscope system has an adjusting device for adjusting the second stand part or at least parts (subunits) of the second stand part relative to the first stand part or relative to at least parts (subunits) of the first stand part. It is therefore conceivable that such an adjustment device only one or more subunits, such as a lens holder (lens mount), the second stand part relative to the first stand part (or at least subunits thereof) adjusted, but also that the adjustment device, the second stand part relative to the first stand part (or at least a subunit thereof) adjusted as a whole. By an adjustment is meant, in particular, a movement that may involve a displacement and / or a pivoting and / or a rotation. A drive unit or mechanism could, for example, move the first stand part relative to the reference system of the room in which the microscope is located, but alternatively or additionally also the second stand part, for adjusting the second stand part relative to the first stand part ("relative adjustment") Thus, such an adjustment device may in particular comprise a slide unit which is formed, the second stand part and / or at least one subunit of the second stand part (such as a lens holder) in a plane of displacement perpendicular to the optical axis of the second Lens is to move at least in one direction relative to the first stand part (or at least subunits thereof) .This lateral displacement There are a number of advantages, such as an enlargement of the detectable sample space. In particular, if two mirror elements are arranged at a comparatively large distance from each other for producing light sheets on both sides of the optical axis and the illumination field is so small that the mirror elements can no longer be sufficiently illuminated by the illumination lens (ie they no longer sufficiently deflect the illumination focus) Lateral displacement of one of the two parts of the tripod as needed one of the mirror elements approached, ie illuminated. In addition, it is possible to use the illumination objective in the central area and not at the edge of the illumination field during image acquisition (ie to position the mirror element in the central area of the illumination objective), which leads to an increase in the optical performance (imaging performance), in particular to a reduction of the lateral chromatic aberrations , It is also possible to use an illumination objective with a higher magnification and thus (with the same diameter of the entrance pupil) of a higher numerical aperture. The possibility of using the illumination objective in the central region of the illumination image field also simplifies the sliding of the illumination focus along the optical axis provided in special light sheet applications. A sliding unit can also be designed so that, alternatively or in addition to the functionality described above, a displacement of the second stand part and / or at least one subunit of the second stand part is made possible parallel to the optical axis of the first and / or second objective. For example, a displacement of the objective connection of the second stand part parallel to the optical axis of the second objective is conceivable. Alternatively or additionally, the adjusting device may also include an optionally further sliding unit, which allows a displacement of the first stand part and / or at least one subunit of the first stand part parallel to the optical axis of the first and / or second lens. In a further advantageous embodiment, the adjusting device comprises a pivoting unit, which is formed, the second stand part and / or at least one subunit of the second stand part about a pivot axis which is perpendicular to the optical axis of the first lens and / or perpendicular to the optical axis of the second lens to pivot relative to the first stand part (or at least subunits thereof).

In a further advantageous embodiment, the adjusting device comprises a rotation unit, which is formed, the second stand part and / or at least one subunit of the second stand part about an axis of rotation which is parallel to the optical axis of the first lens and / or parallel to the optical axis of the second lens to rotate relative to the first stand part (or at least subunits thereof). In a further embodiment, the sliding unit is designed to displace a subunit of the second stand part in the plane of displacement parallel to a focal plane of the second objective relative to the first stand part. Furthermore, the pivot unit is designed to pivot the second stand part in its entirety about the pivot axis relative to the first stand part. This possibility of a coupled sliding / pivoting movement offers a multitude of setting options, which can be freely selected depending on the application.

Preferably, the further light microscopic functional unit is assigned in its entirety to the second stand part. This allows a particularly compact design of the microscope system.

In an advantageous embodiment, the further light microscopic functional unit forms a pointwise imaging microscope, in particular a scanning microscope. The aforementioned scanning microscope is, for example, a confocal microscope. By combining a light-beam microscope and a confocal microscope, which have the common detection objective as an interface, image data can be obtained from one and the same sample area and correlated with one another using different microscopy methods. For example, an overview image of a sample area is first recorded using the light-sheet microscope. If, within this overview image, a position is to be imaged, for example, with a higher resolution, then the light-sheet microscope switches over to the confocal microscope.

In a further embodiment, the scanning microscope can be a multiphoton microscope. For this purpose, the microscope system has a lighting module that includes a multiphoton laser and a scanner. The detection of the photons excited in the illuminated sample area can be done in descanned mode by returning the detection light to the scanner and then passing it to a point sensor. A detection via a non-descanned mode is also conceivable, in this case the detection light is coupled out, for example, in front of the scanner and fed to a detector. In further embodiments, the scanning microscope can also be a STED (STED: stimulated emission depletion) microscope or a RESOLFT microscope (RESOLFT: revesible saturable optical fluorescence depletion).

In another embodiment, the scanning microscope may also be designed as a CARS / SRS microscope (CARS: coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering; SRS: stimulated Raman scattering).

In further other embodiments, the scanning microscope can also be a microscope for performing fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM: fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, FLIM microscope) or for performing Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) or a spectral microscope. A spectral microscope is understood as meaning a microscope which offers the possibility of simultaneously or sequentially detecting a plurality of spectral regions from the emission spectrum of the fluorescence markers used. Basically, a spectral microscope is suitable for measuring the spectrum of the detected light.

In the case of a scanning microscope (for example confocal microscope, multiphoton microscope, STED microscope, CARS / SRS microscope, FLIM microscope, FCS microscope, spectral microscope) as a light microscopic functional unit, the detection light can alternatively be conducted directly onto a surface sensor in non-descanned mode become, which forms at the same time the detector of the Lichtblattmikroskops. In this case, the detection light on the area sensor performs a scanning movement corresponding to the scanning movement of the illumination light on the sample caused by the scanner.

The further light microscopic functional unit provided in addition to the light-sheet microscopic functional unit can also form a wide-field microscope, in particular a localization microscope.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for microscopically imaging a sample using a microscope system comprising a light-sheet microscopic functional unit whose illumination objective is formed by a first objective and its detection objective by a separate second objective and at least one further light-microscopic functional unit in which the second objective is used both for imaging the sample by means of the light-microscopic functional unit and for imaging the sample using the further light-microscopic functional unit as a common detection objective. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. Show:

Fig. 1 shows the schematic structure of a microscope system as

Embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows an illustration of the two lenses provided in the microscope system according to FIG. 1; FIG. 3 shows a modification of the microscope system;

4 shows a further modification of the microscope system;

5 shows a further modification of the microscope system;

FIG. 6 shows a representation of the two objectives provided in the microscope system according to FIG. 5; FIG.

7 shows a further modification of the microscope system;

8 shows a further modification of the microscope system;

9 shows a further modification of the microscope system; and Fig. 10 is a block diagram of the microscope system.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a microscope system 10, which represents an embodiment of the present invention. The microscope system 10 has a microscope stand, generally designated 12, formed of a lower stand portion 14 and an upper stand portion 16 mounted thereon. At the lower stand part 14, a first lens 20 is attached via an objective connection 18. Accordingly, a second objective 24 is attached to the upper stand part 16 via an objective connection 22. The two objectives 20 and 24, which are again shown in isolation in Figure 2, are opposite to each other along an optical axis O, which runs parallel to the z-axis with reference to the xyz coordinate system of Figure 1. The objectives 20 and 24 are thus arranged on both sides of a microscope stage 26, which has a sample chamber, not explicitly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which is designed, for example, in the form of a petri dish provided with a glass bottom.

At the lower stand part 14, a light sheet generator 30 is coupled via a connection 28. The light sheet generator 30 is used to generate a light sheet-like illumination light distribution, which is coupled for example via a mirror or a dichroic beam splitter 32 in the first lens 20. For this purpose, the light sheet generator 30 has per se known, not shown in Figure 1, light-generating components such as a light source and a scanner, which puts the light emitted from the light source illuminating light in a scanning movement. As a result of this scanning movement, an illumination focus produced by the first objective 20, which is denoted by 34 in FIG. 2, generates the light sheet serving for the sample illumination.

As further shown in FIG. 2, two mirror elements 36, 38 arranged on both sides of the optical axis O are mounted on the second objective 24 facing the first objective 20, which illuminance 34 emanating parallel to the optical axis O from the first objective 20 is perpendicular to the optical axis O deflect in a focal plane of the second lens 24. The light sheet generated by the deflected illumination focus 34 is thus arranged coplanar with the focal plane of the second objective 24. As is clear from the above explanation, the arranged on the lower stand portion 14 first lens 20 is used in the embodiment of Figure 1 as an illumination objective that illuminates the sample to be imaged in the focal plane of the second lens 24 with the light sheet. The first objective 20 will therefore also be referred to below as the light-sheet illumination objective.

On the lower stand part 14 are also further connections which form interfaces for coupling of microscope components, which serve in particular the supply of light into the lower stand part 14 or the removal of light from the lower stand part 14. By way of example, FIG. 1 shows a connection 40 which serves to couple another light source which emits illuminating light in the direction of the dichroic beam splitter 32. Further, eyepieces 42 are attached to the lower stand part 14.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the objective 24 opposite the light-sheet illumination objective 20 serves, on the one hand, to detect the detection light which originates from the specimen illuminated with the light sheet. For this purpose, the second objective 24 directs the detection light via a tube optical system 44 onto an area sensor 46, which is designed, for example, as a CCD or CMOS camera. On the other hand, the objective 24 is functionally assigned to a confocal illumination module 48, which is coupled to the upper stand part 16 via a connection 50. In this function, the objective 24 serves both as an illumination objective in which illumination light, which is generated by a light source (not shown) contained in the confocal illumination module 48 and passed through a confocal scanner 52 also contained in the confocal illumination module 48, is applied to the sample to be imaged conducts, as well as a detection lens, in which it passes detection light generated by the confocal sample illumination back into the upper stand part 16 in the confocal illumination module 48, wherein the detection light is detected by a point sensor 54. Since the detection light in the confocal Scanner 52 is returned, the point sensor 54 operates in a conventional manner as a so-called descanned sensor. Because of the above-described double function of the second objective 24, this is also referred to below as a common illumination / detection objective.

Like the lower stand portion 14, the upper stand portion 16 is also provided with a series of terminals defining interfaces for coupling external components to the stand portion 16. In addition to the already mentioned connection 50, to which the confocal illumination module 48 is attached, the stand part 16 has a connection 56 for coupling the surface sensor 46 and a connection 58 for coupling an LED lamp 62. In this case, the two terminals 50 and 58 define two parallel interface planes Ei, E ₂ , which have a well-defined (in particular conjugate) position relative to the image-side focal plane and / or the object-side focal plane of the common illumination / detection objective 24. Advantageously, the terminals 50 and 58 themselves have a well-defined (in particular known) position, for example with respect to the common illumination / detection objective 24 and / or relative to the image-side and / or the object-side focal plane. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the interface plane E ₂ defines a so-called incident light axis, along which light emitted by the LED lamp 62 is directed onto the common illumination / detection objective 24. On the upper stand part 16 eyepieces 60 are also arranged.

The upper stand part 16 contains in addition to the previously mentioned, the surface sensor 46 upstream tube optics 44 arranged in the first interface plane Ei beam splitter mirror 64 (this may, depending on the application, for example, a (optionally flexibly be introduced into the beam path) beam splitter or mirror act , which can also be supplemented by other filters) and a filter cube 66 and a dichroic beam splitter 68, in the second interface plane E ₂ and thus on the Auflichtachse are arranged. The aforementioned optical components 64, 66 and 68 are positioned in a conventional manner depending on the application on the optical axis 0 of the common illumination / detection objective 24 to influence the illumination light and the detection light within the upper support member 16 in the desired manner. In particular, a splitting according to the type of illumination (confocal illumination or illumination by a light sheet) and thus a parallel detection of the detection light of both types of illumination can be achieved by a correspondingly selected beam splitter as beam splitter 64 (when using suitable dyes). A splitting according to polarization directions when using a corresponding beam splitter (or in combination with polarizing filters) is conceivable.

The microscope system 10 according to FIG. 1 represents a modular arrangement of different functional units which can be used individually or together for imaging. In particular, the microscope system 10 includes a light sheet microscopic functional unit whose essential functional components are given with respect to the illumination by the light sheet generator 30 and the light sheet illumination objective 20 and with respect to the detection by the common illumination / detection objective 24 and the surface sensor 46. Furthermore, the microscope system 10 comprises a further, confocal microscopic functional unit whose essential components are given both with regard to the illumination and with regard to the detection by the confocal illumination module 48 and the common illumination / detection objective 24.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 explained above, the confocal microscopic functional unit detects the detection light originating from the sample after its return to the confocal scanner 52 by means of the dot sensor 54 in the so-called descanned mode. However, it is also possible, the detection light in the so-called non-Descanned mode directly on the To conduct surface sensor 46. In this case, the detection light on the area sensor 46 performs a scanning movement corresponding to the scanning movement of the illumination light on the sample caused by the confocal scanner 52. The microscope system 10 according to FIG. 1 furthermore has a slide unit 70, which makes it possible to move the upper stand part 16 in the xy plane, ie perpendicular to the optical axis 0, relative to the lower stand part 14. This possibility of a lateral displacement makes it possible, in particular, to use the light-sheet illumination objective 20 in the central region of the image field and not at its edge, which, inter alia, enables a higher optical imaging performance (in particular lower lateral chromatic aberration).

Figures 3 to 9 show a number of modifications of the microscope system 10 according to the invention of Figure 1, wherein for simplicity of description those components of these modifications, which correspond in any case in their basic function to the components shown in Figure 1, provided with the reference numerals used in Figure 1 are.

The modified embodiment according to FIG. 3 differs from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 essentially in that the first interface plane Ei is omitted and the confocal illumination module 48 is coupled in the second interface plane E ₂ , ie in the incident light axis.

The modified embodiment of Figure 4 differs from the embodiment of Figure 3 by omitting the eyepieces 60th

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment which differs from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 in that the light-sheet generation takes place via the upper stand part 16, while the light-sheet detection as well as the confocal illumination and detection are realized in the lower stand part 14. Accordingly, the Light sheet generator 30 coupled in the embodiment of Figure 5 in the first interface plane Ei to the upper stand part 16. Further, the confocal illumination module 48 is attached to the lower stand part 14. In addition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has a further area detector 72, for example in the form of a CCD or CMOS camera, in the lower stand part 14. The further area detector 72 detects the detection light originating from the sample illuminated with the light sheet.

Compared to the embodiment of Figure 1, in the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the arrangement of the light sheet illuminating objective 20 and the common illuminating / detecting objective 24 are reversed, i. the light sheet / illumination lens 20 is located on the upper stand portion 16 while the common illumination / detection lens 24 is disposed on the lower stand portion 14. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, the two mirror elements 36, 38 mounted on the light sheet illuminating objective 20 are located below the microscope stage 26.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 corresponds, as far as is relevant to the present invention, essentially to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, except that the light sheet generator 30 is coupled via an optical fiber 102 to a multicolor light source 74. The multicolor light source 74 includes a plurality of monochrome light sources 76, 78, 80, 82, which supply illumination light of different colors to the light sheet generator 30 via a plurality of dichroic mirrors 84, 86, 88, 90. Alternatively, the multicolor light source 74 may be comprised of or include a white-light laser that provides or provides a continuous broad spectrum of wavelengths. In particular, a combination of white light laser and monochrome light sources is conceivable. At the same time, the multicolor light source 74 is also connected to the confocal illumination module 48 via another optical fiber 102 and also serves as the light source for the upper support part 16. In contrast to the previous embodiments, the lower stand part 14 further reduced to the lens port 18 and the light sheet generator 30 and in particular omitted eyepieces 42 for the lower stand part 14. In this case, the objective connection 18 (the objective connection 18 is a subunit of the lower stand part 14) can be displaced by means of the sliding unit 70 both parallel to the optical axis of the light sheet / illumination objective 20 and in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the light sheet / illumination objective 20. Furthermore, the objective connection 22 (the objective connection 22 forms a subunit of the upper stand part 16) can also be moved parallel to the optical axis of the illumination / detection objective 24 by a further slide unit 98. In this case, the adjusting device thus eliminates two sliding units 70, 98.

The multicolor light source 74 may in this case be connected via an optical switch 104 to the optical fibers 102 which serve to couple to the light sheet generator 30 and the confocal illumination module 48. The optical switch 104 may in this case be an optical component with the function of a switch which either supplies the light completely to the light sheet generator 30 or the confocal lighting module 48, so that the two functional units (the light sheet microscopy and the light microscopy) sequentially illuminate the sample. Alternatively, the optical switch 104 may also be an optical component with the function of a divider, which supplies a first portion of the light of the light sheet microscope functional unit and a second portion of the light of the confocal microscopic functional unit, so that they simultaneously illuminate the sample. The optical switch 104 may in this case comprise, for example, a switchable mirror, an acousto-optical component, such as, for example, an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) or an acousto-optical deflector (AOD), or an electro-optical modulator (EOM).

The embodiment of Figure 8 substantially corresponds to the arrangement shown in Figure 7, except that the confocal illumination module 48 is not as in Figure 7 in the interface plane Ei, but in the interface plane E ₂ , that is arranged in the incident light axis.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the microscope system 10 which is based on the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, in the arrangement according to FIG. 9 the sliding unit 70 has the function of not the upper stand part 16 as a whole but only a subunit of the upper stand part 18, designated 94 in FIG. 9, on which the common illumination / Detektionsobjektiv 24 is held to move laterally in the xy plane. In addition, the microscope system 10 according to FIG. 9 has a pivoting unit 96 with which the upper stand part 16 as a whole can be pivoted about a pivot axis S parallel to the x-axis. In this way, the lens 24 can be adjusted in a coupled sliding / pivoting movement relative to the lens 20. Finally, in the block diagram according to FIG. 10, the two objectives 20 and 24, the light-leaf generator 30 and the confocal illumination module 48 are shown functionally on the functional unit forming the light-sheet microscope and the confocal microscope and spatially on the two stand portions 14 , 16 are assigned. The aforementioned functional units are shown in dashed lines in FIG.

Furthermore, FIG. 10 shows a control / evaluation unit 100 which controls the overall operation of the microscope system 10. In this case, the control unit / evaluation unit 100 is in particular designed to evaluate image data in such a way that those data which are obtained by the confocal microscope are correlated to image data generated by the light-sheet microscope.

The embodiments explained above are to be understood as examples only. In particular, it should be pointed out that individual aspects of various embodiments can be easily combined with each other. In the described embodiments, the further light microscopic functional unit according to the invention forms a confocal microscope. It goes without saying that this functional unit can also represent a pointwise imaging microscope of another type, for example a multiphoton microscope, a STED microscope, a RESOLFT microscope or a CARS / SRS microscope. Furthermore, the functional unit can also be designed as a wide-field microscope, in particular as a localization microscope.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

microscope system

microscope stand

lower stand part

Upper tripod part

lens mount

lens

lens mount

lens

microscope stage

connection

Light sheet generator

dichroic beam splitter

focus lighting

mirror elements

connection

eyepiece

tube optical system

area sensor

confocal illumination module

connection

Confocal scanner

point sensor

connection

eyepiece

Led lamp

Beamsplitter mirror

fluorescent cubes dichroic beam splitter

Sliding unit further surface detector

Multicolor light source-82 light sources

-90 dichroic mirrors

subunit

Swivel unit further sliding unit0 Control / evaluation unit2 optical fiber

4 optical switches

Claims

claims

Microscope system (10), comprising:

a light sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 24, 30) whose

Illumination lens by a first lens (20) and its

Detection objective formed by a separate second lens (24), and at least one further light microscopic functional unit (24, 48), characterized in that the further light microscopic

Function unit (24, 48) has a detection lens, which is formed by the second lens (24).

2. microscope system (10) according to claim 1, characterized by a

Evaluation unit (100) for correlated image analysis on the basis of detection light, which the light sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 24,

30) and the further light microscopic functional unit (24, 48) in each case via the through the second lens (24) formed, shared detection lens receive.

Microscope system (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the further light microscopic functional unit (24, 48) a

An illumination lens formed by the second lens (24).

Microscope system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a microscope stand (12) consisting of a first stand part (14) on which the first lens (20) is held, and a second stand part (16) on which the second Lens (24) the first lens (20) is held opposite, is composed.

5. microscope system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a Lichtumlenkvorrichtung (36, 38), one of the light sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 24, 30) through the first lens (20) generated illumination focus (34) in a focal plane of the second lens (24) deflects.

6. microscope system (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the Lichtumlenkvorrichtung (36) has at least one mirror element which deflects the illumination focus (34) perpendicular to the optical axis (O) of the second lens (24), said mirror element preferably at the first lens (20) or on the second lens (24) is mounted.

7. Microscope system (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized

in that the light-sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 24, 30) has an area sensor (46) arranged in the second stand part (16) for detecting the detection light received by the second objective (24).

8. Microscope system (10) according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized

in that the further light-microscopic functional unit (24, 48) comprises an illumination module (48) associated with the second stand part (16) for spot-scanning sample illumination and / or for far-field sample illumination.

9. Microscope system (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the illumination module (48) includes a scanner (52) for point-by-point scanning sample illumination.

10. A microscope according to claim 9, characterized in that the

Illumination module (48) has a point sensor (54) having a Descanned detector for the detected by the second lens (24) detection light forms.

11. Microscope system (10) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized

in that the area sensor (46) of the light-sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 34, 30) at the same time is one of the others

light microscopic functional unit (24, 48) associated with the non-descanned detector for the detected by the second lens (24) detection light.

12. Microscope system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 11, characterized

in that the light-sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 24, 30) comprises a light-leaf generator (30) associated with the first stand part (14).

13. Microscope system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized

in that the microscope system (10) has an adjusting device (70, 96) for adjusting the second stand part (16) or a subunit (22, 94) of the second stand part (16) relative to the first stand part (14) or relative to a subunit (18) of the first stand part (14).

14. microscope system (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that the adjusting device (70, 96) comprises a sliding unit (70) which is formed, the second stand part (16) or a subunit (22, 94) of the second stand part (16) in a shift plane perpendicular to the optical axis (O) of the first lens (20) and perpendicular to the optical axis (O) of the second lens (24), relative to the first stand part (14) or relative to the one Subunit (18) of the first stand part (14) to move. Microscope system (10) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the adjusting device comprises a pivoting unit (96) which

is formed, the second stand part (16) or the one subunit (22, 94) of the second stand part (16) about a pivot axis (S) perpendicular to the optical axis (0) of the first lens (20) and perpendicular to the optical axis (0) of the second lens (24) is to pivot relative to the first stand part (14) or relative to the one subunit (16) of the first stand part (14).

Microscope system (10) according to claims 14 and 15, characterized

characterized in that the sliding unit (70) is formed, the one

Subunit (94) of the second stand part (16) in parallel to a

Shifting plane lying on the focal plane of the second lens (24) relative to the first stand part (14), and the pivot unit (96) is formed, the second stand part (16) in its entirety about the pivot axis (S) relative to the first stand part ( 14) to pivot.

Microscope system (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 16, characterized in that the further light microscopic functional unit (24, 48) in its entirety is associated with the second stand part (16).

Microscope system (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the further light microscopic functional unit (24, 48) is a pointwise imaging microscope, in particular a

Scanning microscope forms.

19. A microscope system according to claim 18, characterized in that the

Scanning microscope 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 is.

20. Microscope system (10) according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized

in that the further light-microscopic functional unit (24, 48) is a wide-field microscope, in particular a localization microscope.

21. Microscope system (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the position of use of the microscope system (10) one of the two stand parts (14, 16), a lower stand part and the other stand part is an upper stand part.

22. A method for microscopically imaging a sample using a microscope system (10) comprising a light sheet microscopy

Function unit (20, 24, 30) whose illumination objective is formed by a first objective (20) and whose detection objective is formed by a separate second objective (24) and at least one further light-microscopic functional unit (24, 48),

characterized in that the second objective (24) both for the imaging of the sample by means of the light sheet microscopic functional unit (20, 24, 30) and for the imaging of the sample by means of the further light microscopic functional unit (24, 48) as common

Detection lens is used.