MICROSCOPE, MORE PARTICULARLY CONFOCAL OR LIGHT SHEET MICROSCOPE, HAVING A FREELY PROGRAMMABLE LASER PULSE SEQUENCE, AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

摘要

The invention relates to a microscope (30), more particularly a confocal or light sheet microscope, having an illumination system (32) for illuminating a sample region (34) containing a sample (36). The invention further relates to a method for illuminating the sample region in the field of luminescence microscopy. The problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a microscope and a method which simplify the adaptability and automation of luminescence microscopy. To achieve this, according to the invention the illumination system (32) has a control device (60) with illumination parameters (112) that can be modified by user interaction. The control device also has trigger outputs (70), to each of which an externally triggerable laser system (72) can be connected. A trigger generator (81) generates temporally successive trigger signals (10) which trigger the laser systems (72) that are connected to the trigger outputs (70). The assignment of the trigger signals (10) to the trigger outputs (70) and/or a temporal interval (∆T) between successive trigger signals (10) is dependent on the illumination parameters (112). The variable generation and assignment of the trigger signals allow the laser systems to be freely controlled and to be adapted to a wide range of measuring tasks. The use of the illumination parameters stored in the control device allows the measuring tasks to be automated.