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Imaging theory and resolution improvement of two-photon confocal microscopy

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Abstract

The nonlinear effect of two-photon excitation on the imaging property of two-photon confocal microscopy has been analyzed by the two-photon fluorescence intensity transfer function derived in this paper. The two-photon fluorescence intensity transfer function in a confocal microscopy is given. Furthermore the three-dimensional point spread function (3D-PSF) and the three-dimensional optical transfer function (3D-OTF) of two-photon confocal microscopy are derived based on the nonlinear effect of two-photon excitation. The imaging property of two-photon confocal microscopy is discussed in detail based on 3D-OTF. Finally the spatial resolution limit of two-photon confocal microscopy is discussed according to the uncertainty principle.

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Correspondence to Tang Zhilie.

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Zhilie, T., Chuping, Y., Hongjin, P. et al. Imaging theory and resolution improvement of two-photon confocal microscopy. Sci. China Ser. A-Math. 45, 1468–1478 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02880042

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02880042

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