Courtesy of Microscopy U
Stereo microscopes come in two configurations, Greenough and the common main objective (CMO) designs. The more-expensive CMO design uses a single objective, whereas Greenough microscopes use two.
Stereomicroscopes are not sexy. They lack the power of modern compound instruments, the novelty value of a confocal, and the imposing presence of an electron microscope. They are routinely put to such unglamorous tasks as specimen sorting and dissection. But life scientists are now asking more of these faithful old workhorses, and the big four manufacturers – Zeiss, Leica, Nikon, and Olympus – are rising to the challenge, producing increasingly higher-resolution instruments with fluorescence and imaging capabilities that might even turn a few heads.
"Over the past 15 years or so stereomicroscopy has really started taking some big steps forward as far as performance goes," says Lon Nelson, Leica product manager. Aubrey Lambert, marketing manager at Carl Zeiss-UK, attributes ...
