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Nikon Instruments, Inc. and ChromoDynamics, Inc. have announced a valued-added reseller agreement enabling Nikon to deliver ChromoDynamics' new HSi-300 system, providing high-performance, widefield hyperspectral imaging technology, to its users. The partnership, in addition to Nikon's confocal spectral imaging products, brings an affordable and fast spectral imaging solution to widefield microscopy utilizing Nikon's Eclipse 90i and Ti series of microscopes.

Paired with Nikon's NIS-Elements software platform, the HSi-300 effectively addresses removal of auto-fluorescence, distinguishes and separates probes with similar emission characteristics, and can be used for brightfield hyperspectral detection techniques in histology and pathology clinical specimens. The new combined platform will also permit easier, more accurate morphological and molecular component differentiation for biological research. Techniques utilizing fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) and preparations using quantum dots (Q-dots) can be rapidly separated and quantified without the use of motorized emission-side filter wheels.

"This partnership with ChromoDynamics creates a valuable offering for our customers and fulfills a critical scientific need," said Stan Schwartz, vice president, Nikon Instruments, Inc. "Our customers now have the ability to perform hyperspectral imaging experiments, often limited to confocal applications, with a variety of widefield techniques, including brightfield immunohistochemistry and fluorescence observations modes."

A key feature of the system is a tunable emission wavelength range from 450-800nm for detection, with selectable bandwidth sizes, all controlled through Nikon's NIS-Elements software. It also enables direct triggering of camera hardware after each wavelength is acquired to maximize speed, allowing hyperspectral data sets to be acquired as quickly as the camera can acquire images. Additionally, the system is fully compatible with multi-dimensional experiments (multiple XY positions, Z axis focus and time lapse) because each spectral bandwidth acquired utilizes the camera's full field-of-view. Spectral unmixing and spectrum reference library functions are achieved using Nikon's powerful and proven linear unmixing algorithms. The system is matched to appropriate CCD or EMCCD cameras to achieve rapid and high pixel bit depth imaging for the greatest signal to noise ratios possible.