Programmable multiple-point illuminator, confocal filter, confocal microscope and method to operate said confocal microscope

A programmable multiple-point illuminator for an optical microscope, comprising:

• one continuous laser or a plurality of continuous wave lasers coupled into a single light beam, the lasers being configured to emit uninterrupted light beams;
• and
• a spatial light modulator to modulate a single or combined light beam from the continuous wave lasers to produce a modulated light beam configured to scan across a sample placed under an objective of the microscope, the sample being provided with fluorophores, the spatial light modulator comprising:
• a first acousto-optic deflector;
• and
• a second acousto-optic deflector,
• the first acousto-optic deflector having a first modulation plane, and
• the second acousto-optic deflector having a second modulation plane,
• said first and second acousto-optic deflectors being arranged in cascade to provide respective deflection in different directions,
• the spatial light modulator being configured to scan in two dimensions across the sample,
• the first and second modulation planes being conjugated with an input pupil of the objective of the microscope,
• the illuminator further comprising:
• a waveform generator configured to synthesize holograms and arranged to simultaneously inject a first such hologram into the first acousto-optic deflector and a second such hologram into the second acousto-optic deflector, for the spatial light modulator to modulate the single or combined light beam in response to said holograms,
• the objective of the microscope acting as a Fourier transform lens with respect to the conjugated modulation planes and focusing the single or combined light beam on a Fourier reconstruction plane that intersects the sample.