The Expanding Horizon of Light Sheet Technology

Abstract

Seldom, do we come across a technology that advances multiple research disciplines across science and engineering. One such technology is light sheet that promises to take scientific investigation to the next level. The existing technology, predominantly based on point-focusing has reached a saturation limit, in terms of speed, limited field-of-view and lack of biophysical parameter estimation. Moreover, current technology is complex and needs human intervention. Light sheet techniques based on sheet-illumination expand our abilities for high throughput interrogation of a large pool of live biological specimens with near diffraction-limited resolution and an order increase in field-of-view. The outlook of research community has changed dramatically over the last decade that has seen an increased use of light sheet technology. Light sheet technique has penetrated both biological and physical sciences with its impact on microscopy, cytometry, nanolithography, beam-shaping, plasma physics and optical manipulation. Eventually, the technique will influence other disciplines and may give rise to new research fields.