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We developed a multiple light-sheet microscopy (MLSM) system capable of 3D fluorescence imaging. Employing spatial filter in the excitation arm of a SPIM system, we successfully generated multiple light-sheets. This improves upon the existing SPIM system and is capable of 3D volume imaging by simultaneously illuminating multiple planes in the sample. Theta detection geometry is employed for data acquisition from multiple specimen layers. This detection scheme inherits many advantages including, background reduction, cross-talk free fluorescence detection and high-resolution at long working distance. Using this technique, we generated equi-intense light-sheets of thickness approximately with an inter-sheet separation of . Moreover, the light-sheets generated by MLSM is found to be 2 times thinner than the state-of-art SPIM system. Imaging of fluorescently coated yeast cells of size (encaged in Agarose gel-matrix) is achieved. Proposed imaging technique may accelerate the field of fluorescence microscopy, cell biology and biophotonics.

Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) based geometry is attractive for super-resolution localization microscopy. Although the traditional TIRF configuration enables near-surface 2D imaging, it is not capable of imaging multiple axial planes. We propose a simultaneous multiplane imaging based localization encoded (SMILE) technique in the TIRF configuration that utilizes point spread function (PSF) information (PSF size, corresponding to single molecules located at the focal plane and off-focal planes, and the detected photons per PSF) to reconstruct a near-surface volume stack. The natural spread of the detection PSFs (far from the specimen-coverslip interface) is used to fix the axial locations of single molecules, and the corresponding photon count determines their localization precision. The proposed SMILE microscopy technique enables super-resolved volume reconstruction based on 2D recorded data.

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Monitoring and visualizing specimens at a large penetration depth is a challenge. At depths of hundreds of microns, several physical effects (such as, scattering, PSF distortion and noise) deteriorate the image quality and prohibit a detailed study of key biological phenomena. In this study, we use a Bessel-like beam in-conjugation with an orthogonal detection system to achieve depth imaging. A Bessel-like penetrating diffractionless beam is generated by engineering the back-aperture of the excitation objective. The proposed excitation scheme allows continuous scanning by simply translating the detection PSF. This type of imaging system is beneficial for obtaining depth information from any desired specimen layer, including nano-particle tracking in thick tissue. As demonstrated by imaging the fluorescent polymer-tagged-CaCO3 particles and yeast cells in a tissue-like gel-matrix, the system offers a penetration depth that extends up to 650 µm. This achievement will advance the field of fluorescence imaging and deep nano-particle tracking.