Epi-Fluorescence, Widefield Microscopes and Slide Scanner
Our widefield microscopes are classical light microscopes with light source and beam paths optimized for fluorescence microscopy. Our systems are also configured for transmitted light techniques including differential interference contrast (DIC) and phase contrast. The detectors of widefield microscopes are usually cameras, which can be extremely light sensitive and fast in acquiring images.
Cell Discoverer 7
The Cell Discoverer 7 (CD7) is a fully automated live cell imaging platform based on an inverted epi-fluorescence/widefield setup. Zeiss developed market-leading optics exclusively for the CD7. In addition, the new LSM 900 (see section confocal microscopes) with Airyscan 2 to gently image dynamic processes in your living samples with highest framerates in superresolution has been integrated. Thus, simultaneous imaging with a camera and a confocal lasers scanning microscope is possible. The setup includes a hardware-based focus drift-correction (definite focus 2), a CCD camera (Axiocam 506 mono, 2752 x 2208 pixel, 14 bit, linear full well 15,000 e, read out noise < 6.5 e, quantum efficiency 75% @ 590nm, 34 frames/sec @ 2752 x 2208 pixel), and a seven line LED combiner (385 nm, 420 nm, 470 nm, 520 nm, 567 nm, 590 nm, and 625 nm) as fluorescence light source. Two fast filter wheels (beamsplitter and emission filter wheels) allow multiple filter combinations and fast switching. The CD7 has an incubation chamber for temperature and CO2 control. This setup is ideally suited for advanced fluorescence and transmitted light (phase gradient contrast) applications including long term live cell imaging, automated small-size screening experiments, and big tile scans in most cell culture formats on the market (plates, dishes, and slides).
DeltaVision Elite
The DeltaVision Elite setup is a fully motorized microscope equipped with an ultra-precise stage, hardware-based focus drift-correction (Ultimate Focus), stabilized seven color solid state light source, and a high resolution sCMOS camera (2560 x 2160 pixels, 15 bit, linear full well 30,000 e, read out noise 1.4 e, quantum efficiency 54%, 200 frames/sec @ 1024 x 1024 pixels). The system is configured for differential interference contrast (DIC) and high-end fluorescence microscopy including long-term timelaps and deconvolution. It accepts a large range of sample dishes including multi-well plates. Furthermore, it possesses a laser module with a 405 nm and a 488 nm laser to perform FRAP experiments. It is also equipped with a live cell incubator for long-term temperature and CO2 control.
Epi-Scope1-Apotome
This setup is built on a fully motorized inverted microscope from Zeiss with a hardware-based focus drift-correction (Definite Focus), two cameras (Axio 305 color and AxioCam Mrm), a mercury short arc lamp (HXP) as fluorescence light source and a white light LED as trans-light source. In addition, the Epi-Scope1-Aptome is equipped with the ApoTome2 for optical sectioning based on structured illumination resulting in a Z-resolution similar to the resolution achieved with a confocal microscope. The setup has a small top stage incubation chamber for temperature and CO2 control. This setup is ideally suited for advanced multi channel fluorescence (DAPI, GFP, RFP, mPlum, A647 filters) and transmitted light (DIC and phase contrast) applications including live cell imaging and large tile scans.
Epi-Scope 2
This setup is built on a fully motorized inverted microscope from Zeiss with a hardware-based focus drift-correction (definite focus 2), two CCD cameras (Axiocam 512 mono and Axiocam 512 color, both 12 megapixels), and a seven line LED combiner (385 nm, 430 nm, 475 nm, 511 nm, 555 nm, 590 nm, and 630 nm) as fluorescence light source. The two fast filter wheels (beamsplitter and emission filterwheels) allow multiple filter combinations and fast switching. In addition, the Epi-Scope 2 has a small incubation chamber for temperature and CO2 control. This setup is ideally suited for advanced fluorescence and transmitted light (DIC and phase contrast) applications including live cell imaging and big tile scans.
AxioScan.Z1
Our slide scanner is the AxioScan.Z1 from Zeiss. The slide scanner is a fully motorized widefield setup equipped with two cameras (Hitachi HV F202 for brightfield (color camera) and Hamamatsu ORCA Flash (monochromatic) and a Colibri LED combiner as fluorescence light sources. In combination with the respective filters, the system can be used for excitations at 385 nm, 475 nm, 555 nm, 590 nm, 630 nm and 750 nm. The AxioScan.Z1 is able to a load up to 100 standard slides, detect the tissue and image large areas fully automated in multi-channel fluorescence or brightfield mode with highest reproducibility. The AxioScan.Z1 features high numerical aperture dry objectives from 5x to 40x.
Axio Zoom.V16
The Axio Zoom.V16 is a fully motorized epi-fluorescence stereo zoom microscope with a motorized zoom ranging from 0.7x to 11.2x. This results in a final magnification (dependent on the objective) of 16x to 412x. Three air objectives with extremely long working distances are available (1. PlanNeoFluar Z 1,0x/0,25 FWD 56mm; 2. 1,5x/0,37 FWD 30mm; 3. 2,3x/0,57 FWD 10,6mm). The setup is equipped with a CCD camera (Zeiss Axiocam 506 mono, 2752 x 2208 pixel, 14 bit, linear full well 15,000 e, read out noise < 6.5 e, quantum efficiency 75% @ 590nm, 34 frames/sec @ 2752 x 2208 pixel). In addition the Axio Zoom.V16 features an ApoTome2 for optical sectioning based on structured illumination resulting in a Z-resolution similar to the resolution achieved with a confocal microscope. Thus the setup is optimally suited to image large specimen including whole brain sections.