Patent ID: 7170675
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. A wide-field microscope comprising: a stage configured to hold a specimen having a fluorescent material therein; a multi-photon excitation light source configured to produce a substantially parallel pulsed beam of excitation light having a single photon energy less than an absorption energy required for single photon excitation of said fluorescent material; an infinity corrected objective optically coupled to the multi-photon excitation light source and configured to focus the substantially parallel beam of excitation light onto the specimen such that multi-photon excitation of the fluorescent material simultaneously occurs over a predetermined area of the specimen corresponding to at least two pixels of an image detector of the wide-field microscope; and a focus lens configured to focus emission light emitted from said predetermined area of the specimen onto at least two pixels of the image detector simultaneously, wherein the excitation light source or the infinity corrected objective or both is configured to cause substantially homogeneous pulse spreading characteristics of the excitation light across the excitation light area when the excitation light passes therethrough.