We offer confocal microscopes to support advanced biomedical research, surface analysis in material science, and many spectral applications. Our imaging systems deliver precise 3D imaging, and their modularity allows them to be tailored with available functionalities based on the application or research need.
Features
Essential Features of Our Confocal Microscopes
- Our confocal microscopes offer enhanced image quality thanks to optimized scan optics and detection.
- Confocal microscopes capture images in 3D, allowing researchers to study the depth and structure of their samples.
- Our confocal microscopes have full spectral detection flexibility.
- They are built to withstand the rigors of daily use in a research environment. High-quality components and materials are used to ensure long-term reliability and durability.
Applications
Applications
- To study dynamic cellular processes.
- To study molecular (protein) localization in cells.
- To study the distribution and metabolism of molecules in living tissues and cells.
- To study the organization and dynamics of biomolecules at nanoscale resolution.
- To study molecular interactions and kinetics in live cells, including protein-protein interactions and enzyme activities.
FAQs
What are confocal microscopes, and how do they work?
Confocal microscopes are advanced optical imaging tools that remove out-of-focus fluorescence signals using and provide images of biological and non-biological specimens with increased contrast.
Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) involves using a laser beam focused on a specimen and a pinhole aperture that only allows light to pass through a specific point in the sample. The laser beam scans the specimen in a raster pattern, and the emitted light is collected by a detector and processed into an image or optical slice sample. The pinhole aperture allows for the rejection of out-of-focus light, resulting in sharp, high-resolution images.
What are the advantages of using confocal microscopes over other types of microscopes?
The advantages of using confocal microscopes over other microscopes include increased resolution, improved contrast, and the ability to collect optical sections of thick samples without physically sectioning the specimen. Confocal microscopes are less sensitive to out-of-focus light and can reduce photobleaching and photodamage of samples.
What types of samples can be imaged with confocal microscopes?
Confocal microscopes can image a wide range of samples, including biological tissues, live cells, fixed cells, model organisms (i.e. zebrafish), embryos. spheroids, organoids, microorganisms, nanoparticles, and thin sections of materials.
What factors should be considered when choosing a confocal microscope?
Factors such as sample type, imaging resolution, imaging speed, and detector sensitivity should be considered when choosing a confocal microscope. Additionally, the budget, user experience, and availability of accessories and software should also be considered.
Contact us to help us choose right confocal microscope for your research needs.
What does Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) entail in the context of confocal microscopy?
In confocal microscopy, Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) is a super-resolution technique that surpasses the diffraction limit by controlling the states of fluorophores, specifically their emitting and dark states. STED involves the overlay of a donut-shaped laser beam (STED beam) onto the excitation beam of a confocal microscope, confining the emission of fluorophores within a diffraction-limited spot to a sub-diffraction region. This process, utilizing stimulated emission, reduces the effective focal volume, achieving resolutions in the tens of nanometers and isotropic resolutions below one hundred nanometers, enabling the imaging of macromolecular complexes and cellular structures at a sub-diffraction level.
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How does Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) contribute to functional imaging in confocal microscopy?
Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) contributes to functional imaging in confocal microscopy by providing additional information beyond standard fluorescence intensity measurements. FLIM utilizes the characteristic lifetime of fluorescent molecules, independent of fluorophore concentration, making it well-suited for functional imaging. It enhances confocal imaging by improving image quality, discriminating between overlapping fluorescent probes, and facilitating the investigation of molecular function, interactions, and the sample's microenvironment.
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In what way does Multiphoton Microscopy enhance the capabilities of confocal microscopes?
Multiphoton microscopy enhances the capabilities of confocal microscopes by utilizing multiphoton excitation with infrared light, which has reduced scattering in thick specimens. While confocal microscopy with one-photon excitation faces limitations in imaging depth (around 100 µm), multiphoton microscopy, with its longer wavelengths, is ideal for deep tissue imaging, allowing visualization of complex structures in living organisms or studying processes like tumor development and immune responses at greater depths. The achievable imaging depth with multiphoton microscopy depends on factors like tissue type, tissue age, staining quality, and the efficiency of excitation.
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How is Digital Light Sheet (DLS) Imaging reimagined within the context of confocal microscopy?
Digital Light Sheet (DLS) Imaging is an innovative system that combines the principles of confocal microscopy with the advantages of light sheet imaging, allowing seamless switching between the two modes of optical sectioning. By introducing a small mirror to achieve orthogonal illumination and utilizing the existing confocal microscope infrastructure, DLS provides a solution that enhances imaging capabilities, offering researchers the flexibility to choose the most suitable technique for their specific research questions.
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What role does Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) Microscopy play in label-free chemical imaging with confocal microscopes?
Coherent Raman Scattering (CRS) Microscopy plays a crucial role in label-free chemical imaging with confocal microscopes by leveraging the intrinsic vibrational contrast of molecules within biological specimens. As a powerful approach, CRS provides high-resolution, chemically specific imaging at the sub-cellular level, offering dynamic information on the biochemical composition and metabolic processes in cells and tissues without the need for specimen labeling, making it especially valuable in applications such as neurodegenerative disease, cancer research, 3D biology, stem cell and developmental biology, and pharmacology.
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How is a White Light Laser (WLL) optimized for confocal microscopes?
A White Light Laser (WLL) is optimized for confocal microscopes by serving as an optimal light source, consisting of a high-energy pulsed IR-fiber laser that generates a spectral continuum through a photonic crystal fiber. This continuum is selectively tuned by an Acousto-Optical Beam Splitter (AOBS) to provide excitation across the spectrum from blue to red, allowing up to 8 simultaneous scanning independent laser lines for complete spectral freedom, enabling users to choose and combine fluorophores without compromising multiplexing capabilities or limiting fluorophore choices. Since WLL is a pulsed light source it is suited for fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM).
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What are the functions of an Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter (AOTF) and Acousto-Optical Beam Splitter (AOBS) in fluorescence microscopy?
An Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter (AOTF) in fluorescence microscopy functions to control excitation by selectively tuning the color bands of light for fluorochrome activation, allowing for flexible tunability and high-speed switching. The Acousto-Optical Beam Splitter (AOBS) serves to separate excitation and emission light in the optical path, ensuring that the selected excitation colors efficiently reach the sample while allowing the emission, which is Stokes-shifted, to pass through for detection without alteration.
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Are our confocal microscopes modular? What advantages do modular microscopes offer?
Our confocal microscopes are modular, providing users with the flexibility to customize and upgrade the system based on specific research requirements. This modularity allows for scalability, tailored solutions empowering researchers to address diverse applications and stay current with technological advancements. Interchangeable components enhance versatility, making these microscopes valuable tools for multidisciplinary biomedical research and other scientific endeavors.