APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR TRANSMITTING LIGHT

An apparatus and method for imaging includes an imaging system formed of a movable objective stage proximal to a sample and positioned for providing an excitation beam onto and for capturing an emission from the sample. The movable objective stage includes an optical lens apparatus and a turn reflector optically coupled to the imaging optics, where at least one of the optical lens apparatus and the turn reflector are movable relative to one another for scanning the sample, and wherein the movement is achieved while maintaining a substantially fixed optical path length between the optical lens apparatus and a fixed plane in a fixed imaging optics stage.