Biological atomic force microscope
According to Bruker, its BioScope Resolve biological atomic force microscope (bioAFM) features the highest-resolution imaging and most complete cell mechanics capabilities available for use with an inverted optical microscope. The company’s PeakForce Tapping technology provides piconewton level force measurements on biological samples and real-time correlation of atomic force and optical microscopy data sets. BioAFM analysis allows high-resolution molecular structures to be directly correlated with function on the same cell. The system’s PeakForce quantitative nanomechanical property mapping package lets users map the surfaces of soft biological samples. Various accessories, including carrier support with clear visual and physical access to samples, environmental control with heating and cooling capabilities, and precalibrated biological probes, help preserve the integrity of delicate samples. Bruker Nano Surfaces Division, 3400 East Britannia Drive, Suite 150, Tucson, AZ 85706, http://www.bruker.com
Electromechanical shutters
To improve reliability, lower cost, and offer faster performance, Melles Griot has redesigned five electromechanical shutters for optical applications in life sciences, semiconductors, defense and security, manufacturing, and vision enhancement in harsh environments. The 04 RDI 231 and 232 rotary drive integrated controllers now offer a simpler connection and preprogrammed software code on a redesigned board. Very compact and lightweight, they can be used in extreme temperatures and feature enhanced resistance to mechanical shock and vibration. Also designed to operate reliably under harsh conditions, the 04 RDS 731 and 761 paddle shutters with radial drive actuator only consume power when moving the blades. The 04 SMD 001 stepper motor shutter offers a magnetic direct drive and an extended lifetime. Its design provides for lower impact and reduced wear and offers users repeatable speed and time control. Melles Griot, Optical Systems Group, 55 Science Parkway, Rochester, NY 14620, http://www.mellesgriot.com
Superresolution confocal microscope
PicoQuant has released a stimulated emission depletion add-on for its MicroTime 200 time-resolved confocal microscope. The STED method uses pairs of synchronized laser pulses. The superresolution extension allows the MicroTime 200 to perform measurements that break the diffraction limit of light and reach lateral resolutions below 50 nm. The excitation and STED lasers are coupled through a common fiber to ensure perfect alignment and beam shape. An optical element changes the STED laser focus to the required donut shape while leaving the excitation laser unaffected. The STED add-on extends the fluorescence correlation spectroscopy capabilities of the MicroTime 200 and influences the effective observation volume, so FCS can be performed at higher fluorophore concentrations. The add-on also helps to disentangle complex 2D diffusion scenarios in heterogeneous samples such as biological membranes. PicoQuant, Rudower Chaussee 29, 12489 Berlin, Germany, http://www.picoquant.com
Piezoelectrical positioning system
The MIPOS R120 piezoelectrical positioning system from piezosystem jena offers a solution for positioning the complete microscope revolver. It allows users to save time by switching between lenses without changing the setup. Though compact, the system can carry an objective revolver with a load of up to 5 kg. The simple mounting positions the MIPOS R120 between the objective revolver and the microscope stand. It can be used for widely available microscopes such as those from Carl Zeiss, Nikon, and Leica. Equipped with capacitive or strain gauge sensors, the MIPOS R120 provides high resolution in the nanometer range, high repeatability, and longtime stability. Due to its parallelogram design and solid-state flexure hinges, the positioning system is free of mechanical play and shows no friction and stiction. Its high resonant frequency makes the system suitable for dynamic applications. piezosystem jena Inc, 2B Rosenfeld Drive, Hopedale, MA 01747, http://www.piezosystem.com
Confocal microscope
Carl Zeiss’s LSM 880 confocal laser scanning microscope with Airyscan offers in one system high sensitivity; enhanced resolution in x-, y-, and z-coordinates; and high image-acquisition speed—properties that benefit confocal imaging. Compared with other systems, the LSM 880 achieves a 1.7× higher resolution in all spatial dimensions, 140 nm laterally and 400 nm axially. The improved sensitivity yields better image quality and increased speed. Instead of detecting signals with a single point detector, Airyscan provides a 32-element multichannel area detector that collects all the light from an Airy disk simultaneously. Users can employ all the photons collected by the objective. The LSM 880 identifies and localizes biological molecules of interest, even in challenging specimens. To investigate subcellular structures at a new level of detail, the system provides the speed to monitor the molecules and their interactions in space and time while minimizing the input of light. Carl Zeiss NTS LLC, 1 Corporation Way, Peabody, MA 01960, http://www.zeiss.com
Multimodality photonic microscope
Craic Technologies has included Raman microspectroscopy in its new 20/30 Perfect Vision microspectrophotometer. According to the company, users of the 20/30 PV can rapidly and easily acquire Raman spectra, with multiple laser wavelengths, in addition to UV/visible/near- IR absorbance, reflectance, fluorescence, and emission microspectra. The 20/30 PV can also acquire images of the microscopic samples in the UV, visible, and near-IR regions. Among the applications for the multipurpose instrument are developing advanced materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes; studying various types of biological samples, including lignins and nanocrystalline cellulose; analyzing forensic samples; and measuring thin-film thickness. Craic Technologies Inc, 948 North Amelia Avenue, San Dimas, CA 91773, http://www.microspectra.com
Volume imaging of cells and tissues
The Teneo VS scanning electron microscope (SEM) for life sciences applications has been introduced by FEI. The platform integrates FEI’s latest-generation SEM with VolumeScope, an in-chamber microtome, and analytical software that provides fully automated, large-volume reconstructions with improved z-axis resolution. VolumeScope uses serial block face imaging to acquire a 3D volume from a block of tissue or cells. While SEMs can provide nanometer-scale lateral resolution in images of each slice, the axial resolution of the reconstructed model is normally limited by the physical thickness of the slices, typically 25 µm or more. The Teneo VS uses FEI’s ThruSight multi-energy deconvolution to resolve features at different depths within each slice and improve axial resolution. FEI, 5350 Northeast Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124, http://www.fei.com
Phase-locked optical chopper
New Focus has redesigned its model 3502 optical chopper. With the chopping frequency phase locked to the internal frequency synthesizer, the 3502 provides high stability and flexibility. It can now chop from 4 Hz to 10.65 kHz using either the internal frequency synthesizer or an external source as the reference. The 3502 can chop at the fundamental, a harmonic (2 to 15), or a subharmonic (1/2 to 1/15) of the reference. The chopper features outputs at the sum and difference of the inner and outer wheels’ chopping frequencies for nonlinear-optics experiments and a high-stability phase shifter that can lock two choppers together for long fluorescence-decay measurements. Variable duty-cycle chopping can be achieved by mounting two of the same wheels on the chopper head. The 3502 optical chopper comes with a controller, a chopper head, six wheels, a wheel cover, a graphical user interface, and a USB 2.0 interface. New Focus, 3635 Peterson Way, Santa Clara, CA 95054, http://www.newport.com
Photon counter
Laser Components has added new photon counters to its COUNT series. The COUNT S modules feature the high quantum efficiency of the other models, with a significantly larger active area of 500 µm to facilitate focusing. The photon counters are passively quenched, which lowers the cost of ownership. They are suitable for research and school internships in, for example, the field of quantum optics and quantum information. A dead time of approximately 1 µs yields a maximum count rate of up to 1 Mcps. The dark count rates of the COUNT series range between 1000 cps and 5000 cps and tie in directly with actively quenched COUNTs. Incoming photons produce electrical pulses in the detector that are then read out using the TTL output. An optional power supply unit completes the plug-and-play module. All COUNT models are also available with an FC/PC fiber coupling. Laser Components USA Inc, 9 River Road, Hudson, NH 03051, http://www.lasercomponents.com
Mid-IR laser spectrometer
Applied Physics & Electronics, or A·P·E, has launched a new version of its waveScan USB spectrometer for the mid-IR range (MIR) from 1.5 µm to 6.3 µm. With a resolution of better than 3 nm, the waveScan USB spectrally analyzes CW and mode-locked laser systems. Extending the spectral range of the waveScan USB family of laser spectrometers to longer wavelengths, the MIR version offers fast measurements beyond the capability of line detectors that are based on silicon or indium gallium arsenide. With its high scan rate of about 6 Hz and use of highly precise rotational movement, the waveScan USB MIR can also function as an alignment tool. The control software displays and stores the measured spectra on a standard PC and includes all measuring and calibration features. Like the standard waveScan USB, the MIR version is available with a fiber input and a free space entrance. Applied Physics & Electronics Inc, 45401 Research Avenue, Suite 141, Fremont, CA 94539, http://www.ape-america.com
Live-cell imaging
A new all-in-one camera package from QImaging supports live-cell fluorescence imaging. To provide users with the sensitivity of electron multiplying CCD and the versatility of scientific CMOS camera technologies, the company has combined its Rolera Thunder EMCCD and optiMOS sCMOS cameras. The Rolera Thunder is suitable for superresolution microscopy, including stochastic optical reconstruction, photoactivated localization, and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, and for single-molecule fluorescence and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching applications. The optiMOS sCMOS is suitable for cell biologists working with live-cell, multicolor fluorescence; biophysicists studying membrane dynamics and protein and lipid trafficking; and neuroscientists looking at ion transport such as electrophysiology and calcium and ratiometric imaging. QImaging, 19535 56th Avenue, Suite 101, Surrey, BC V3S 6K3, Canada, http://www.qimaging.com
Light sheet microscopes
Andor Technology has launched a new feature set for its Zyla 4.2 scientific CMOS camera. LightSheet PLUS is designed for flexibility and gives users more control over the functionality of the rolling shutter scanning mode. Suitable for light sheet and selective plane illumination microscopy applications, LightSheet PLUS allows users to scan an illumination beam in one continuous sweep from the top to the bottom of the sensor or vice versa. Further control is available through the FlexiScan feature, which allows users to maximize signal and confocality concurrently. With FlexiScan, three parameters—the scan row height (slit width), the scan speed (number of lines/millisecond), and the exposure time—can be independently adjusted. Since the scan row height can act as a slit detector, which rejects scattered light and enhances contrast and signal-to-noise ratio, image quality and resolution are improved. Andor Technology USA, 425 Sullivan Avenue, Suite 3, South Windsor, CT 06074, http://www.andor.com
Microscope objectives for biological imaging
Olympus now offers two dedicated microscope objectives optimized for deep, high-resolution imaging of life sciences specimens up to 8 mm beneath the surface. The 10× and 25× objectives are designed to boost the capability of multiphoton imaging using image clearing technique software such as Clarity, Scaleview, and SeeDB. A high transmittance range of 400–1600 nm, extending into the IR spectrum, allows deeper imaging with minimal damage to tissue. It can be used to combine conventional multicolor two- and three-photon imaging with label-free methods such as third- and second-harmonic generation. In the intact mouse brain, for example, it is possible to image structures as deep as the thalamus and hypothalamus. The microscope objectives can also be used for live-cell imaging, light sheet microscopy, and other applications in cell and developmental biology. Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas Inc, 48 Woerd Avenue, Waltham, MA 02453, http://www.olympusamerica.com