Multifocal multiphoton microscope is based on a beam divider that splits up an incoming laser beam into up to 64 beamlets which are scanned simultaneously in the object plane
TauTec's Trimscope, a state-of-the-art multifocal multiphoton microscope, is based on a patented beam divider that splits up an incoming laser beam into up to 64 beamlets which are scanned simultaneously in the object plane.
This results in either 64 times brighter images or 64 times higher image rates compared to standard single beam multiphoton scanning microscopes.
The foci in the object plane are aligned in a single line and the number of foci can be easily switched from 64 to 32, 16, 8, 4 and to a single beam.
Image rates up to 3600Hz are possible.
The Trimscope beam divider is a compact and easy-to-use device that utilises exclusively flat optics for dividing the incoming beam with high light efficiency, avoiding aberrations and producing equally intense foci in the sample.
As the beamlets are inherently displaced with respect to each other by several picoseconds, there is no cross-talk.
Spatial and axial resolutions are diffraction limited.
In addition, single line excitation allows convenient coupling to the input slit of an imaging spectrograph yielding real-time spectral sectioning in the x-y and x-z planes.
The use of Trimscope in conjunction with LaVision's ultrahigh rep rate, picosecond gated Picostar HR (200ps gate width at 110 MHz rep rate) camera allows real-time acquisition of fluorescence lifetime images (Flim) with true 3D resolution.
Trimscope and Picostar HR camera can be used to build up a modular customised system or to upgrade an existing two-photon microscope to a multi-technique microscope system for real time 3D fluorescence microscopy with time-lapse, ratio imaging, 2D and 3D kinetics, Flim, Fret, Frap, polarisation and spectral functionalities.
All these functions along with control and synchronisation of various components of the microscope workstation are supported by a 4D data acquisition, processing and analysis software.
