Resolution-Enhanced Mesoscopic Imaging With Cylindrical Lens-Corrected Oblique Plane Light-Sheet Microscopy.

Abstract

Single-objective light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) excels in high-speed imaging of large samples, but its limited fluorescence collection angle would degrade system resolution due to the fluorescence loss at low magnifications. To address this issue, we introduce a new method using a coaxial modulation module. By combining two sets of cylindrical lenses with the camera's rolling shutter, we achieve 3D imaging with an optimized fluorescence collection angle in low-magnification mode. Compared to advanced single-objective LSFM, our method provides a practical solution for low-NA oblique plane microscopy (NA 0.5) and enhances resolution by ~30% along the light propagation axis. We validated the system's resolution with fluorescent microspheres, achieving sub-micron lateral and sub-cellular axial resolutions. Furthermore, we have demonstrated its feasibility using GFP-labeled neurons and Siha cervical cancer cell samples for cell counting.