We present an interferometric confocal microscope using an array of 1200 vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) coupled to a multimode fiber. Spatial coherence gating provides ~18,000 continuous virtual pinholes, allowing an entire en face plane to be imaged in a snapshot. This approach maintains the same optical sectioning as a scanning confocal microscope without moving parts, while...

We have developed a tomographic diffractive microscope, equipped with a fluorescence confocal scanner. We measure experimentally the lateral resolution using an edge method and by comparing tomographic images of the same samples with wide-field and laser scanning confocal microscopy images; a scanning electron microscope image serves as a reference. The experimental resolution is shown to be to...

We have developed digital 3D Fourier transform methods for comparing the 3D spatial frequency content and hence the axial and transverse resolution of confocal versus conventional microscope images. In particular, we have utilized these techniques to evaluate the performance of our recently-developed confocal transmission microscope for bright field and Nomarski DIC imaging. We have also found ...

We theoretically study the problem of detecting dipole radiation in a fiber-based confocal microscope of high numerical aperture. By using a single-mode fiber, in contrast to a hard-stop pinhole aperture, the detector becomes sensitive to the phase of the field amplitude. We find that the maximum in collection efficiency of the dipole radiation does not coincide with the optimum resolution for ...

We discuss the design and operation of a confocal rheometer, formed by integrating an Anton Paar MCR301 stress-controlled rheometer with a Leica SP5 laser scanning confocal microscope. Combining two commercial instruments results in a system which is straightforward to assemble that preserves the performance of each component with virtually no impact on the precision of either device. The instr...

Modern confocal microscopes enable high-precision measurement in three dimensions by collecting stacks of 2D (x-y) images that can be assembled digitally into a 3D image. It is difficult, however, to ensure position accuracy, particularly along the optical (z) axis where scanning is performed by a different physical mechanism than in x-y. We describe a simple device to calibrate simultaneously ...

This paper presents the use and characterization of an electrically focus tunable lens to perform axial scanning in a confocal microscope. Lateral and axial resolution are characterized over a >250 µm axial scan range. Confocal microscopy using optical axial scanning is demonstrated in epithelial tissue and compared to traditional stage scanning. By enabling rapid axial scanning, minimizing mot...

The optical dissection ability of confocal microscopy makes it a powerful tool for biological materials. However, the cost and complexity of confocal scanning laser microscopy hinders its wide application in education. We describe the construction of a simplified confocal scanning laser microscope and demonstrate three-dimensional projection based on cost-efficient commercial hardware, together...