title: Multifunctional darkfield microscopy using an axicon.
abstract: We present a multifunctional darkfield microscopy using an axicon. It combines the functions of a darkfield microscope, fluorescence microscope, and microspectrophotometer in one platform. The advantage of the system over conventional darkfield microscopy includes the high transmittance of the illuminating flux, the high contrast of the image, and the convenient toggle between darkfield and brightfield microscopy. Examples of dark, bright, and fluorescent micrographs as well as concerned spectra of microsized specimens implemented in this apparatus are demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710119, China. leiming@opt.ac.cn
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Baoli
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018511:Systems Integration