Patent ID: 8575570

Claim:
A dual-mode imaging microscope comprising: at least one excitation source, said excitation source being capable of producing an excitation beam, and being disposed such that the excitation is directed along at least one excitation beam path; a sample holder in optical communication with said excitation source such that a sample contained therein is excited by said excitation beam; an excitation optic capable of producing from the excitation beam a substantially two-dimensional sample excitation region having an effectively uniform excitation intensity which extends in the direction of an excitation axis of the excitation beam path and transversely thereto and intersects with at least a portion of the sample holder along a pre-determined path; a tomography detector configured to detect an excitation generated signal contrast from the sample holder, the tomography detector being disposed such that the axis of detection of at least one tomography detector is substantially collinear to the excitation beam; a light sheet microscope detector configured to detect an excitation generated signal contrast from the sample excitation region, the light sheet microscope detector being disposed such that the axis of detection of at least one light sheet detector is substantially orthogonal to the sample excitation region; wherein the angular orientation of the excitation region relative to the sample holder may be varied about the axis of the sample holder, and wherein the position of the excitation region relative to the sample holder may be varied along the light sheet detector axis; and wherein the axis about which the angular orientation may be varied is not parallel to the excitation beam path.