We introduce a compact attachment for microscope objectives that allows for the conversion of conventional fluorescence microscopes into Airy light-sheet microscopes. The attachment includes a one-dimensional Airy beam generator, which comprises a gradient-index collimator and a 3D nano-printed cubic phase-plate, realized through two-photon polymerization 3D nano-printing and a two-step writing process that guarantees an optical-quality surface for the phase plate. The micro-optical unit is affixed to a mechanical holder equipped with micro-stages, thereby facilitating the unit's integration into commercial microscopes. The implementation and imaging performance of this system and its fundamental imaging characteristics are discussed, with findings based on diverse samples.
One-dimensional Airy beams allow the generation of thin light-sheets without scanning, simplifying the complex optical arrangements of light-sheet microscopes (LSMs) with an extended field of view (FOV). However, their uniaxial acceleration limits the maximum numerical aperture of the detection objective in order to keep both the active and inactive axes within the depth of field. This problem is particularly pronounced in miniaturized LSM implementations, such as those for endomicroscopy or multi-photon neural imaging in freely moving animals using head-mounted miniscopes. We propose a new method to generate a static Airy light-sheet with biaxial acceleration, based on a novel phase profile. This light-sheet has the geometry of a spherical shell whose radius of curvature can be designed to match the field curvature of the micro-objective. We present an analytical model for the analysis of the light-sheet parameters and verify it by numerical simulations in the paraxial regime. We also discuss a micro-optical experimental implementation combining gradient-index optics with a 3D-nanoprinted, fully refractive phase plate. The results confirm that we are able to match detection curvatures with radii in the range of 1.5 to 2 mm.
The use of one-dimensional Airy beams in light-sheet microscopy (LSM) allows the generation of thin lightsheets without scanning, and thus have great potential for simplifying multi-photon LSM systems. However, their uni-axial acceleration limits the maximum numerical aperture of the collection objective in order to keep both the active and inactive axes within its depth of field. This issue is particularly pronounced in potential miniaturized LSM implementations, such as those for endomicroscopy or multi-photon neural imaging in freelymoving animals using head-mounted miniscopes. To address this issue, we propose a new method to generate a bi-axially accelerating static Airy light-sheet that illuminates a thin spherical shell within the field-of-view (FOV) of a collection objective. This profile can be engineered to match both the detection objective’s field curvature and FOV. Using an illumination unit that combines GRIN optics with a phase mask that is 3D-printed using 2-photon polymerization, we experimentally demonstrate the validity of the approach, and verify the analytical models.
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