Three-Dimensional Rapid Imaging Realized Using Structured Light

Abstract

Laser scanning microscopy enables the capturing three-dimensional (3D) structures of biological specimens. In conventional microscopes, iterative acquisitions of two-dimensional images while changing the observation plane are required to construct 3D images, which limits acquisition speed. Recently, we proposed a novel imaging method to acquire 3D images without changing the observation plane. The proposed method is implemented in a light-needle scanning microscope combined with spatially transposed detection using Airy beam conversion for fluorescent signals. The technique allows the rapid acquisition of the 3D images of the fluorescent samples from a single raster scanning of a light needle. Here, we review the imaging technique realized using Bessel and Airy beams—so-called "structured light"—in laser scanning microscopy. In addition, we discuss the future applications using the structured light in biological imaging.