Patent ID: 9448395
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: G02B

Claim Text:
1. A microscope comprising: a light source for generating a light beam having a wavelength, λ; beam-forming optics configured for receiving the light beam and generating a Bessel-like excitation beam that is directed into a sample, the beam-forming optics including an excitation objective having an axis oriented in a first direction; imaging optics configured for receiving signal light from the sample that is illuminated by the Bessel-like beam and for imaging the received signal light on a detector, the imaging optics including a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction; a detector configured for detecting signal light received by the imaging optics; and an aperture mask positioned between the sample and the detector, wherein the aperture mask is configured to prevent signal light from positions within the sample illuminated by side lobes of the Bessel-like beam from reaching the detector, while allowing signal light from positions within the sample illuminated by a central lobe of the Bessel-like beam to reach the detector.