US 11,754,826 B2
TIRFM-capable microscope and method for operating a TIRFM-capable microscope
Michael Schaefer, Leipzig (DE); Klaus Christian Schuermann, Muenster (DE); Jennifer-Rose Krueger, Hiddenhausen (DE); Frank Wienhausen, Ochtrup (DE); Yuya Miyazono, Hachioji (JP); and Daniel Krueger, Berlin (DE)
Assigned to Evident Technology Center Europe GmbH, Muenster (DE)
Filed by Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH, Muenster (DE)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/210,738.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 108 117.0 (DE), filed on Mar. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0302714 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. G02B 21/36 (2006.01); G02B 21/06 (2006.01); G02B 27/46 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 21/365 (2013.01) [G02B 21/06 (2013.01); G02B 27/46 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A TIRFM-capable microscope, comprising:
a first light source configured to generate and emit incoherent excitation light onto a first optical path;
the first optical path comprises in order from the first light source, a first projection lens system, a first spatial filter device, a second projection lens system and an objective; and
a first controller;
wherein the first projection lens system is configured to project the excitation light onto the first spatial filter device and the first spatial filter device is configured to spatially filter the excitation light with two-dimensional patterns,
the first spatial filter device lies in a first configuration in a plane (cBFP) conjugate to a back focal plane (BFP) of the objective,
the objective comprises an objective lens which is configured to direct the excitation light onto a sample and receive fluorescent light from the sample, wherein, for a numerical aperture NAObj of the objective and a refractive index nspec of the sample NAObj>nspec, and
the first controller is configured to activate the first spatial filter device to select or generate various two-dimensional patterns and select or adjust the position, shape, and/or size of the two-dimensional pattern such that TIRF illumination of the sample is generated;
wherein the first controller is further configured to activate the first spatial filter device to provide an annular pattern and a circular pattern as two-dimensional patterns in order to switch between TIRF illumination and non-TIRF illumination.