Carl Zeiss Lightsheet Z.1 multiview light sheet fluorescence microscope

The Carl Zeiss Lightsheet Z.1 is a multiview light sheet fluorescence microscope which allows users to record the development of large, living samples. The system allows imaging with virtually no phototoxicity and with high temporal resolution.

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) splits fluorescence excitation and detection into two separate paths, with the axis of illumination perpendicular to the detection axis. Users can illuminate a single thin section of a sample at one time, generating an inherent optical section by exciting only fluorescence from the in-focus plane. No pinhole or image processing is required.

Light from the in-focus plane is collected on the pixels of a camera. Parallelisation of the image collection on a camera-based detector allows fast collection of images with little excitation light; making 3D imaging fast and light efficient.