More Data, Less Damage

Courtesy of Nikon Instruments

Thornwood, NY-based Nikon Instruments' http://www.nikon.com newly released confocal microscope, the Eclipse C1-Plus, sports a range of new features, including new adjustable lasers, according to Jeff Larson, Nikon's US product manager for confocal microscopes.

The Eclipse C1-Plus can take images up to three times faster than the previous version. The scan-head has better optical performance, as the lenses are corrected down to wavelengths of 400 nm (previously they were corrected only for the visible spectrum). Uncorrected lenses can lead to image aberrations and image stacks owing to errors in the focus of one or more colors.

The microscope's major advantage, according to Larson, is that it lets the user modulate the power of each laser individually via computer-controlled acousto-optical modulators, rather than manually. Even well-trained users are often temped to turn the power up to get a clearer initial image when using manually adjustable microscopes, but...