DEVICE FOR INCREASING THE DEPTH DISCRIMINATION OF OPTICAL IMAGING SYSTEMS

The invention relates to a device for increasing the depth discrimination of optical imaging systems. Such a device comprises means for structuring illumination light in an illumination beam of the optical imaging system by means of a grating-like pattern in a conjugated object plane of the optical imaging system. The device further comprises means for varying the position of the grating-like patterns along an optical axis of the illuminating beam, and means for varying the position of an image of the grating-like pattern on a specimen in an object plane. Such a device is characterized by a grating changer connected to an electronic control system or to a control program of the optical imaging system for automatically changing the grating-like pattern to at least one further grating-like pattern and/or for removing the grating-like pattern from the illuminating beam path.