Light Sheet Microscopy Turned Vertically

Living cells and organisms often suffer from the high light intensities used for fluorescent imaging. Light sheet microscopy reduces phototoxic effects and bleaching by illuminating a specimen in only a single plane at a time, and uses high-speed video cameras for image acquisition. It is therefore the ideal method for imaging sensitive samples or fast dynamic processes.

A new light sheet microscope combines light sheet and confocal microscopy in one system without compromising either functionality and allows the combination of the two methods, e.g. confocal photomanipulation with subsequent light sheet acquisition, for new applications.

This light sheet implementation integrates illumination and detection optics into the vertical axis of an inverted confocal microscope stand by a unique mirror device that deflects the light sheet at a 90° angle.