SAFM is novel method of surface selective fluorescence microscopy related to TIRFM. In TIRF the excitation beam is directed to the interface at the angle larger than critical. The bean reflects back into the lightguide and excites only particles located at the surface and in ckose proximity 0.1-0.2-microns from the surface. In SAFM, the angle of incidence is smaller than critical, so that the excitation beam refracts at the interface glass/water and enters the solution phase at shallow angle. SAFM beam propagates along the surface illuminating 4-100 microns of the solution. Unlike TIRFM, which visualizes only contacts between cells and TIRF surface, SAFM is capable of visualization whole cells, including large neurons.