STRUCTURED PLANE ILLUMINATION MICROSCOPY

• US 20130286181A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• Original Assignee: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• Inventors: Betzig, Robert E., Wang, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/79
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/002 Scanning microscopes scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/095 Refractive optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An apparatus includes a light source configured for generating a coherent light beam having a wavelength, λ, a light detector, and beam-forming optics configured for receiving the generated light beam and for generating a plurality of substantially parallel Bessel-like beams directed into a sample in a first direction. Each of the Bessel-like beams has a fixed phase relative to the other Bessel-like beams. Imaging optics are configured for receiving light from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the Bessel-like beams and for imaging the received light onto the detector. The imaging optics include a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction, where the detector is configured for detecting light received by the imaging optics. A processor configured to generate an image of the sample based on the detected light.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a light source configured for generating a coherent light beam having a wavelength, λ

;

beam-forming optics configured for receiving the generated light beam and for generating a plurality of substantially parallel Bessel-like beams directed into a sample in a first direction, wherein each of the Bessel-like beams has a fixed phase relative to the other Bessel-like beams;

a light detector;

imaging optics configured for receiving light from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the Bessel-like beams and for imaging the received light onto the detector, the imaging optics including a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction, wherein the detector is configured for detecting light received by the imaging optics; and

a processor configured to generate an image of the sample based on the detected light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances close enough that the side lobes of adjacent beams interfere with one another.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one of the side lobes of each beam substantially overlaps with one of the side lobes of an adjacent beam, and the overlapping side lobes have substantially the same phase.

3A. A. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances large enough that the side lobes of adjacent beams do not substantially interfere with one another.

3B. B. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are arranged substantially in a plane in the sample.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams partially overlap with neighboring Bessel-like beams in the sample and wherein the beam-forming optics include a wavefront modulating element (WME) configured for controlling the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams in the sample, wherein the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams is such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a diffractive optical element (DOE) configured to generate a plurality of light beams from the light beam generated by the light source; and

wherein the beam-forming optics are configured for receiving the plurality of light beams and generating the plurality of Bessel-like beams in the sample.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the beam forming optics include a wavefront modulating element (WME) positioned to be optically conjugate to the sample and configured to receive the light beam and to generate the plurality of Bessel-like beams in the sample.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the WME includes a spatial light modulator (SLM).

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the SLM includes a binary spatial light modulator (SLM).

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the SLM is configured to control the relative phrases of the individual Bessel-like beams.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising beam scanning optics configured for scanning the Bessel-like beams within the sample in a second direction having a component perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to generate the image based on the detected light received from different positions to which the Bessel beams are scanned within the sample.

12. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the beam scanning optics are further configured for scanning the Bessel-like beams within the sample in a third direction having a component perpendicular to both the first and second directions.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are arranged in the plane in a pattern having a spatial period, Λ

, and wherein the beam scanning optics are configured to scan the pattern in the plane in N discrete steps, the steps having a length of Λ

/N, and further comprising;

a processor configured to generate N images from the detected light, each n image, for n=1 to N, being based on detected light due to excitation of the sample by the n^th excitation pattern and further configured generate a final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein generating the final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images, includes combining the individual images according to

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal light has a wavelength of λ

/2.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z_R to a minimum beam waist, w_o, of more than 2π

w_o/λ and

less than 100π

w_o/λ

.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.95.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.90.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a minimum numerical aperture greater than zero and a ratio of energy in a first side of the beam to energy in the central lobe of the beam of less than 0.5.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams partially are arranged substantially in a plane and overlap with neighboring Bessel-like beams in the sample.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an annular mask in a path of the light beam configured to generate an annular ring of light from which the Bessel-like beam is formed.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are arranged substantially in a plane in the sample, and further comprising a dithering optical element configured to dither the positions of the plurality of Bessel-like beams within the plane at a dither frequency.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the dithering optical element is configured to dither the Bessel-like beams over a distance, such that a time-averaged intensity of the light in the plane, averaged over the inverse of at least one dither frequency is substantially constant over a region within the plane that spans at least two of the Bessel-like beams.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams partially overlap with neighboring Bessel-like beams in the sample and wherein the beam-forming optics include a wavefront modulating element (WME) configured for controlling the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams in the sample, wherein the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams is such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z_R to a minimum beam waist, w_o, of more than 2π

w_o/λ and

less than 100π

w_o/λ

.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.95.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.90.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a minimum numerical aperture greater than zero and a ratio of energy in a first side of the beam to energy in the central lobe of the beam of less than 0.5.

30. A method comprising:

generating a coherent light beam having a wavelength, λ

;

generating from the coherent beam a plurality of substantially parallel Bessel-like beams directed into a sample in a first direction, wherein the each Bessel-like beam has a fixed phase relative to the other Bessel-like beams;

imaging, with imaging optics, light received from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the Bessel-like beams onto detector, the imaging optics including a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction; and

generating an image of the sample based on the detected light.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances close enough that the side lobes of adjacent beams interfere with one another.

31A. A. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances large enough that the side lobes of adjacent beams do not substantially interfere with one another.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are arranged substantially in a plane in the sample.

33. The method of claim 31, further controlling the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams in the sample, wherein the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams is such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein controlling the relative spacing of the Bessel-like beams includes reflecting the Bessel-like beams off a wavefront modulating element (WME) and controlling the WME to control the relative phrases.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the WME includes a spatial light modulator (SLM).

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising scanning the Bessel-like beams within the sample in a direction having a component perpendicular to the first direction.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising generating the image based on the detected light received from different positions to which the Bessel beams are scanned within the sample.

38. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are equally spaced from neighboring beams in the plane in a pattern having a spatial period, Λ

, and further comprising;

scanning the pattern in the plane in N discrete steps, the steps having a length of Λ

/N; and

generating N images from the detected light, each n image, for n=1 to N, being based on detected light due to excitation of the sample by the n^th excitation pattern and further configured generate a final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising generating the final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images by combining the individual images according to

40. The method of claim 30, wherein the detected light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the signal light has a wavelength of λ

/2.

42. The method of claim 30, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z_R to a minimum beam waist, w_o, of more than 2π

w_o/λ and

less than 100π

w_o/λ

.

43. The method of claim 30, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.95.

44. The method of claim 30, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.90.

45. The method of claim 30, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a minimum numerical aperture greater than zero and a ratio of energy in a first side of the beam to energy in the central lobe of the beam of less than 0.5.

46. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are arranged substantially in a plane in the sample, and further comprising:

dithering the positions of the plurality of Bessel-like beams within the plane at a dither frequency.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein dithering the beams includes dithering the Bessel-like beams over a distance, such that a time-averaged intensity of the light in the plane, averaged over the inverse of the dither frequency is substantially constant over a region within the plane that spans at least two of the Bessel-like beams.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising controlling the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams, wherein the relative spacing of the different Bessel-like beams is such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z_R to a minimum beam waist, w_o, of more than 2π

w_o/λ and

less than 100π

w_o/λ

.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.95.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.90.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the Bessel-like beams have a minimum numerical aperture greater than zero and a ratio of energy in a first side of the beam to energy in the central lobe of the beam of less than 0.5.

53. A method comprising:

(a) providing activation radiation to a sample that includes phototransformable optical labels (“

PTOLs”

) to activate a statistically sampled subset of the PTOLs in the sample, wherein the PTOLs are distributed in at least a portion of the sample with a density greater than an inverse of the diffraction-limited resolution volume (“

DLRV”

) of imaging optics;

(b) providing a sheet of excitation radiation to the sample to excite at least some of the activated PTOLs;

(c) detecting with the imaging optics radiation emitted from activated and excited PTOLs within the first subset of PTOLs, wherein the imaging optics include an objective lens having an axis along a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the plane;

(d) determining locations within the sample of the PTOLs from which radiation is detected with superresolution accuracy;

(e) controlling the activation radiation such that the density of activated PTOLs in the subset is less than the inverse of the (“

DLRV”

) of the imaging optics;

(f) repeating (a)-(e) to determine location of more PTOLs within the sample; and

(g) generating a sub-diffraction-limited image of the sample based on the determined locations of the PTOLs.

53A. A. The method of claim 53, wherein the sheet of excitation radiation has a maximum thickness of about 3 micrometers over a distance of about 6 micrometers along a propagation direction of the sheet in a region of the minimum thickness position of the sheet.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the activation radiation is provided in a sheet having a maximum thickness of about 3 micrometers over a distance of about 6 micrometers along a propagation direction of the activation radiation sheet in a region of the in a region of the minimum thickness position of the sheet, and wherein the activation radiation sheet is substantially parallel to, and at least partially overlaps, the excitation radiation sheet.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein providing the activation radiation sheet includes a plurality of Bessel-like beams arranged substantially in the plane.

55A. A. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the excitation radiation sheet includes a plurality of Bessel-like beams arranged substantially in the plane.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the sheet of excitation radiation includes providing a Gaussian beam of excitation radiation and sweeping the Gaussian beam in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the beam.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the sheet of excitation radiation includes focusing a Gaussian beam of excitation radiation with a cylindrical lens to create the excitation radiation sheet in the sample.

57A. A. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the sheet of excitation radiation includes providing a Bessel-like beam of excitation radiation and sweeping the Bessel-like beam in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the beam.

57B. B. The method of claim 53, providing the sheet of activation radiation includes providing a Bessel-like beam of activation radiation and sweeping the Bessel-like beam in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the beam.

58. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

(h) changing the position of the plane with respect to the sample; and

(i) repeating (a)-(e),

wherein generating the image includes generating the image based on the determined locations of the PTOL for different positions of the plane with respect to the sample.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein changing the position of the plane with respect to the sample includes translating the sample.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein changing the position of the plane with respect to the sample includes translating the plane.

61. The method of claim 53, wherein the imaging optics includes an objective lens and wherein providing the activation radiation includes transmitting the activation radiation through the objective lens.

62. The method of claim 53, wherein the PTOLs include fluorescent proteins.

63. The method of claim 53, further comprising deactivating at least some of the activated PTOLs after (e) and before (f).

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the deactivating includes providing sufficient excitation radiation to photobleach PTOLs in the first subset of PTOLs.

65. The method of claim 53, wherein the activation radiation has an activation wavelength and wherein the excitation radiation has an excitation wavelength that is longer than the activation wavelength.

66. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the activation radiation to the sample includes activating PTOLs in the first subset through a multi-photon absorption process.

67. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the excitation radiation to the sample includes exciting PTOLs in the first subset of PTOLs through a multi-photon absorption process.

68. The method of claim 53, wherein providing the excitation radiation sheet includes providing at least one Bessel-like beam of excitation radiation to the sample and manipulating the at least one Bessel-like beam to create the sheet.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein manipulating the beam includes sweeping the at least one Bessel-like beam in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the beam.

70. The method of claim 68, wherein the sheet of excitation radiation includes a plurality of Bessel-like beams arranged substantially in a plane, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams partially overlap with neighboring Bessel-like beams in the sample, and wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are phase coherent with each other.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

72. The method of claim 70, further comprising controlling relative phases of the different Bessel-like beams.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances that are less than a diameter of a first side lobe of the Bessel-like beams and wherein controlling the relative phrase of the different Bessel-like beams includes controlling the relative phases such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein controlling the relative phrases of the Bessel-like beams includes reflecting the Bessel-like beams off a wavefront modulating element (WME) and controlling the WME to control the relative phrases.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the WME includes a spatial light modulator (SLM).

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are equally spaced from neighboring beams in the plane in a pattern having a spatial period, Λ

, and further comprising;

scanning the pattern in the plane in N discrete steps, the steps having a length of Λ

/N; and

generating N images from the detected light, each n image, for n=1 to N, being based on detected light due to excitation of the sample by the n^th excitation pattern and further configured generate a final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images.

77. The method of claim 76, further comprising generating the final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images by combining the individual images according to

78. The method of claim 68, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z_R to a minimum beam waist, w_o, of more than 2π

w_o/λ and

less than 100π

w_o/λ

.

79. The method of claim 68, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.95.

80. The method of claim 68, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.90.

81. The method of claim 68, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a minimum numerical aperture greater than zero and a ratio of energy in a first side of the beam to energy in the central lobe of the beam of less than 0.5.

82. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

dithering the positions of the at least one Bessel-like beam within the plane at a dither frequency.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein dithering the at least one Bessel-like beam includes dithering the at least one Bessel-like beam over a distance, such that a time-averaged intensity of the light in the plane, averaged over the inverse of at least one dither frequency is substantially constant over a region over which the at least one Bessel-like beam is dithered.

84. The method of claim 83, further comprising controlling the relative phrase of the different Bessel-like beams such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

85. The method of claim 53, wherein the detected light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.

87. An apparatus comprising:

a first light source for generating a first light beam having a wavelength, λ

₁;

first beam-forming optics configured for receiving the generated light beam and for generating activation radiation to a sample that includes phototransformable optical labels (“

PTOLs”

) to activate a statistically sampled subset of the PTOLs in the sample, wherein the PTOLs are distributed in at least a portion of the sample with a density greater than an inverse of the diffraction-limited resolution volume (“

DLRV”

) of imaging optics;

a second light source for generating a second light beam having a wavelength, λ

₂;

second beam-forming optics configured for receiving the second generated beam and providing a second sheet of excitation radiation to the sample to excite at least some of the activated PTOLs;

a detector configured for detecting radiation emitted from activated and excited PTOLs within the first subset of PTOLs;

imaging optics configured for receiving radiation emitted from activated and excited PTOLs and for imaging the received light onto the detector, the imaging optics including a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the plane;

a controller configured for controlling the activation radiation such that the density of activated PTOLs in the subset is less than the inverse of the (“

DLRV”

) of the imaging optics;

one or more processors of a computing system configured for determining, with superresolution accuracy, locations within the sample of the PTOLs from which radiation is detected;

one or more processors of the computing system configured for generating a sub-diffraction-limited image of the sample based on the determined locations of the PTOLs.

86. The method of claim 87, wherein the signal light has a wavelength of that is half the wavelength of the excitation radiation.

87A. A. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the sheet of excitation radiation has a maximum thickness of about 3 micrometers over a distance of about 6 micrometers along a propagation direction of the sheet in a region of the minimum thickness position of the sheet.

88. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein first light source and the first beam-forming optics are configured for providing the activation radiation to the sample in a sheet having a maximum thickness of about 3 micrometers over a distance of about 6 micrometers along a propagation direction of the activation radiation sheet in a region of the minimum thickness position of the sheet wherein the activation radiation sheet has a maximum thickness of about 3 micrometers over a distance of about 6 micrometers along a propagation direction of the sheet in a region of the minimum thickness position of the sheet, and wherein the activation radiation sheet is substantially parallel to, and at least partially overlaps, the excitation radiation sheet.

89. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein providing the activation radiation sheet includes a providing a plurality of Bessel-like beams arranged substantially in the plane.

90. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein providing the sheet of excitation radiation includes providing a Gaussian beam of excitation radiation and sweeping the Gaussian beam in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the beam.

91. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the second beam-forming optics include a cylindrical lens and wherein providing the sheet of excitation radiation includes focusing a Gaussian beam of excitation radiation with the cylindrical lens to create the excitation radiation sheet in the sample.

92. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the first sheet includes a plurality of Bessel-like beams arranged substantially in the plane.

93. The apparatus of claim 87, further comprising a movable stage configured for supporting the sample and for moving the sample in a direction having a component parallel to the axis of the detection objective.

94. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the imaging optics are configured to move a focal plane of the imagine optics in the sample in a direction along an axial direction of the detection objective.

95. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the first beam-forming optics are configured to provide the activation radiation through the detection objective.

96. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the PTOLs include fluorescent proteins.

97. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the λ

₁ is shorter than the λ

₂.

98. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein providing the excitation radiation sheet includes providing at least one Bessel-like beam of excitation radiation to the sample and manipulating the at least one Bessel-like beam to create the sheet.

99. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein manipulating the beam includes sweeping the at least one Bessel-like beam in a direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the beam.

100. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein the sheet of excitation radiation includes a plurality of Bessel-like beams arranged substantially in a plane, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams partially overlap with neighboring Bessel-like beams in the sample, and wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are phase coherent with each other.

101. The apparatus of claim 100, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances that are less than a diameter of a first side lobe of the Bessel-like beams.

102. The apparatus of claim 100, wherein the second beam-forming optics include a phase controller configured for controlling the relative phases of the different Bessel-like beams.

103. The apparatus of claim 100, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are spaced from their neighboring beams by distances that are less than a diameter of a first side lobe of the Bessel-like beams and wherein the phase controller is configured for controlling the relative phases such that destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane.

103A. A. The apparatus of claim 103, wherein the destructive interference between neighboring Bessel-like beams occurs at positions that are not in the plane but that within a distance of the plane that is less than the diameter of first side lobes of the Bessel-like beams.

104. The apparatus of claim 102, wherein the phase controller includes a reflective wavefront modulating element (WME) configured for reflecting the Bessel-like beams and for controlling relative phrases of the different Bessel-like beams.

105. The apparatus of claim 104, wherein the WME includes a spatial light modulator (SLM).

106. The apparatus of claim 100, wherein the plurality of Bessel-like beams are equally spaced from neighboring beams in the plane in a pattern having a spatial period, Λ

, and

wherein the second beam-scanning optics are configured for scanning the pattern in the plane in N discrete steps, the steps having a length of Λ

/N; and

wherein the one or more processors of the computing system are configured for generating N images from the detected light, each n image, for n=1 to N, being based on detected light due to excitation of the sample by the n^th excitation pattern and further configured generate a final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images.

107. The apparatus of claim 106, wherein generating the final image of the sample through a linear combination of the N individual images includes combining the individual images according to

108. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z_R to a minimum beam waist, w_o, of more than 2π

w_o/λ and

less than 100π

w_o/λ

.

109. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.95.

110. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a non-zero ratio of a minimum numerical aperture to a maximum numerical aperture of less than 0.90.

111. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein the at least one Bessel-like beam has a minimum numerical aperture greater than zero and a ratio of energy in a first side of the beam to energy in the central lobe of the beam of less than 0.5.

112. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein manipulating the at least one Bessel-like beam includes dithering the position(s) of the at least one Bessel-like beam within the plane at a dither frequency.

113. The apparatus of claim 112, wherein dithering the at least one Bessel-like beam includes dithering the at least one Bessel-like beam over a distance, such that a time-averaged intensity of the light in the plane, averaged over the inverse of at least one dither frequency is substantially constant over a region over which the at least one Bessel-like beam is dithered.

114. The apparatus of claim 87, wherein the detected light has a wavelength that is shorter than the wavelength of the excitation radiation.

115. The method of claim 114, wherein the detected light has a wavelength of that is half the wavelength of the excitation radiation.