OPTICAL SECTIONING MICROSCOPY

Systems and methods for optical sectioning microscopy with structured illumination are provided. A light source generates a light beam with a spatial pattern for successively illuminating a sample at each phase of a plurality of phases. A detector detects a first set of images of the sample at a first axial resolution and a first lateral resolution, each image being associated with a respective phase of the plurality of phases of the illumination. A processor processes the first set of images to generate an enhanced sectioned image of the sample. More specifically, the processor generates data representing a second set of images at a second axial resolution greater than the first axial resolution; and subsequently, performs spectral analysis on the data representing the second set of images to form data representing the enhanced sectioned image of the sample at a second lateral resolution greater than the first lateral resolution.