title: Second-harmonic-generation microscope with a microlens array scanner.
abstract: We propose a multifocus scanning technique in second-harmonic-generation (SHG) microscopy in which the SHG detection efficiency and the image acquisition rate are improved by several tens of times compared with typical single-focus scanning techniques. Because of a microlens array scanner, the laser beam of a mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser is split into ~100 beamlets, and the same number of foci are formed in the specimen. Parallel scanning of the foci enables us to observe real-time images of the specimen. The imaging properties and the usefulness of the microscope are demonstrated by SHG images of living HeLa cells and rat cardiac myocytes.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Katsumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takamatsu
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawata