Light-sheet fluorescent microscopy: fundamentals, developments and applications

Deep volumetric microscopy of live objects plays a critical role in biology and medicine. To this end, development of rapid and non-invasive optical methods for 3-dimensional (3D) imaging is still demanding. In this way, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) has emerged as a volumetric microscopy method having high spatial-temporal resolution for imaging of samples within dimensions from submicron to few centimeters with minimum induced photo damaging. Unique features of LSFM allow for its modification and deployments in various fields including developmental biology, pathology, and microfluidics. Considering the wide spectrum of LSFM users, this tutorial review article explains basic concepts and design considerations of LSFM and provides a detailed analysis of various optical configurations of LSFM. Major developments of LSFM for adoption in both research and clinical applications including tissue imaging, diagnostics, and cytometry are also explained. In addition, various designs of light-sheet fluorescent microscopes for use as a stand-alone microscopy unit and an add-on device are discussed.

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