Zeiss Inverted Confocal Microscope with Superresolution
The Zeiss LSM880 is one of the most sophisticated research confocal microscopes. The microscope is capable of imaging 3-dimensional volumes with sub-micron resolution. The system features an Airyscan superresolution module that allows for instantaneous production of confocal, multiphoton, or live images to resolutions of 120 nm.
Notable Features:
- Ultra high-efficiency detectors for precision imaging
- Airyscan superresolution technology for sub-diffraction imaging
- Live cell imaging with Definite Focus 2 to automatically track and maintain the focus of moving objects
- Spectral detector that can simultaneously image up to 10 fluorophores and separate their constituent spectra with 10 nm resolution
- Multi-photon, visible and UV confocal in one system
Tunable Ultra-short Pulse Infrared Laser for Two-Photon Excitation Microscopy
Ti:Sapphire laser (Coherent Chamelon Ultra combination) is capable of producing ultra-fast, tunable infrared laser with 100 femtosecond pulses at 80 MHz at 680-1080 nm wavelengths. This laser source is currently directly coupled with both the inverted Zeiss LSM880 and upright Leica SP2 systems. In simple word, using two-photon excitation microscopy, one can obtain the confocal and high resolution images without the confocal aperture (the most important component in confocal imaging). Many of the unique features of the two-photon excitation microscopy are listed below.
Notable Features:
- Focal volume and resolution defined by two-photon intensity profile alone without confocal aperture
- No out-of-focus background and high resolution imaging
- Deep fluorescence imaging in thick scattering tissues using infra-red wavelength laser and intrinsic 3-dimensional resolution
- No out-of-focus photo-bleaching (or photo-damage), and relatively less photo bleaching or photo damage, as a whole
- Multiple fluorophores can be excited by a single wavelength and ultraviolet fluorophores can be excited with pulsed infra-red laser
- Fully automated alignment and tuning
Leica Upright Fluorescence Microscope with Fast Confocal Scanner and CCD Camera
This is a filter-free spectral confocal and multiphoton microscope equipped with SP2 RS AOBS laser scan head which is attached to a Leica DM LFSA upright microscope. The imaging operations which include selections of laser, detection channels and other functions are fully automated and computer controlled. Many of its notable features are listed below.
Notable Features:
- Fully automated operational procedures
- High experimental throughput
- Dipping high numerical aperture objectives for in-vivo imaging
- Multi-photon and visible confocal in one system
- Ultra-short pulse infrared laser for multi-photon imaging ( See details below )
- Non de-scanned detectors for the purpose of multi-photon and SHG imaging
- Transmission light detector for the transmission imaging
- Near video rate imaging capabilities with simultaneous or sequential scanning options
- Specially designed swing-out stage for mounting large specimens
- AOBS selection and slit discrimination of collected emission allows for scroll bar style selection of band-width, from as little as a 5 nm window, to several hundred nm. This feature allows determination of fluorophore emission intensity profiles in frequency space
- Complex patterns of line and area scanning, 3-dimensional series, time series, wavelengthseries, and FRAP, FRET measurements
- Comprehensive image processing functions