Device for wavefront analysis and microscopic imaging systems comprising such analysis devices

A fluorescence microscopic imaging system with optical sectioning of a volumetric and fluorescent object comprising:

• an illumination path for an illumination of the object;
• an imaging path for imaging an optical section of the object, comprising a microscope objective lens with a pupil in a pupil plane and an imaging detector comprising an imaging detection plane, said optical section being superimposed on a focal plane of said microscope objective lens;
• an analysis path comprising said microscope objective lens and a wavefront analysis device configured to analyze a wavefront originating from the object;
• a beam splitter element for splitting the wavefront analysis device for analyzing optical defects from the imaging path;
• wherein
• the wavefront analysis device comprises:
• a two-dimensional detector comprising a detection plane conjugated with said focal plane of the microscope objective lens;
• a two-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of microlenses arranged in an analysis plane, each microlens of the plurality of microlenses being configured to form, on the detection plane, an image of said object, with an analysis field-of-view;
• an optical relay system configured to optically conjugate the analysis plane and the pupil plane;
• a field diaphragm positioned in a plane optically conjugated with the detection plane and configured to define said analysis field-of-view;
• a processing unit configured to determine, based on a set of images formed by the plurality of microlenses, a two-dimensional map of a characteristic parameter of a wavefront in said analysis plane, and wherein:
• the illumination path is configured for a first illumination of the object for fluorescence excitation for the imaging path, and a second illumination of the object for fluorescence excitation for the analysis path, the second illumination producing a structured illumination of the object according to a cross-shaped two-dimensional pattern.