Multi-wavelength epi-illumination in fluorescence microscopy

Download Area 1 | 2 | 3

To perform fluorescence in a microscope the following requirements have to be met: powerful energy sources (high- pressure mercury arc lamp, halogen lamp, etc.), adequate transmission filter systems (filterblocks) selecting the excitation light and the emitted radiation perfectly, and, last but not least, optical parts and outfits suitable for fluorescence, i.e. collector lenses, illuminators, beamsplitters, objectives, tube lenses and eyepieces.
Compared with the situation of today, fluorescence microscopy was for the first time applied with the use of transmitted light and darkfield microscopy. This was due to its limited rangers of application in those days. But with its increasing importance to histology, cytology, molecular biology and immuno-diagnosis the demand for a fundamental improvement of illumination and observation techniques came up more and more. This was the hour of birth of incident light fluorescence microscopy.