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Abstract
When imaging deep into tissue samples in fluorescence microscopy, refractive index differences in the sample, and the refractive index differences between the sample, immersion medium, and cover glass cause distortion in the optical signal. These distortions result in a loss of resolution and a decrease of the signal to noise ratio of the imaging system. The addition of Adaptive Optics to a fluorescent microscope offers a possible method to correct these aberrations and obtain high resolution images in thick tissue. Adaptive Optics systems work by sensing the wavefront of the incoming light, and then correcting the distortions in the wavefront through the use of an adjustable optical element, usually a deformable mirror. In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of a Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor for a wide-field fluorescence microscope for the measurement and correction of wavefront aberrations caused by C. elegans.