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Nikon continues to offer the finest innovations in microscopy with the new range of Eclipse i-series microscopes. With classic Nikon innovation supported by Nikon's trademark commitment to listening and responding to the ever-evolving needs of its customers, Nikon Instruments announces the debut of the Eclipse 50i and 55i models, specifically designed to provide an unsurpassed ergonomic and digital imaging microscopy system for users handling a high throughput of samples.

"The Eclipse 50i and 55i have exceptional optical capabilities, utilizing world famous Nikon CFI60 optics, and a new, advanced, stress-free design with a solid platform for routine digital imaging applications," remarked Stan Schwartz, Nikon Instruments' Division Manager of Microscopy Product Marketing.

Specifically developed for customers with high sample volumes, the 50i and 55i set new standards for total ergonomy, comfort and practicality. Unique to this class of microscope, the stage handles of the 50i and 55i remain in a fixed position during use, allowing hand and body positions to remain constant and in line with the instrument. Both left- and right-handed versions are available and the super-hard 'Alumite' coating on the stage creates a resistant surface, providing the durability needed in a busy laboratory.

The 55i employs a unique white LED illumination system, ideal for bright field applications, overcoming the excessive heat and color temperature changes that occur with halogen light sources when changing from high to low intensity. The digital LED illumination provides a homogenous and bright distribution of illumination across the field for optimal viewing and digital imaging, providing spectacular, vivid, true-to-life colors. The LED is low in IR wavelengths for coolness, thus reducing eyestrain for the user. The 55i LED has a long life cycle, very low power consumption, and can run on lithium batteries, making the instrument flexible enough for use anywhere.

An optional, new "Ergo-View" one-touch nosepiece and objective changeover system has been designed for the i-series for use in cytological screening, facilitating rapid switching between 10x and 40x magnifications, and also includes an easy-to-use slide marking function. When the "Ergo-View" is used in combination with the 55i's LED illumination, it automatically adjusts itself to magnification changes, enabling the user to view samples at a constant brightness.

The new and improved Tilting / Telescoping ergonomic head has an extended telescoping feature and can accept Nikon's new DSC tube, allowing easy and direct connection of the recommended Digital Sight family of digital cameras, creating a compact, ergonomic and easy-to-use microscope documentation system. The digital system can either stand-alone or integrate into a network, enabling flexible image management.

A completely new series of digital Plan Apo objective lenses for the i-series overcomes the challenge of harmonizing optical resolution of the microscope to the digital resolution of the camera system and provides the perfect platform for digital microscopy. Additionally, Nikon's vast selection of world-renowned CFI60 optics is usable on the i-series.

A new, dedicated, laboratory Epi-fluorescence illuminator with four-cube position turret incorporates Nikon's exclusive fast cube changer and lockout mechanism for quick and sure changes between wavelengths. This, together with the 50i / 55i microscope, provides extremely bright, high-contrast, crisp, fluorescent images.

Schwartz commented, "For our microscope customers charged with handling and recording samples in high volume, the best in ergonomic comfort and view just got better."

The new 50i and 55i from Nikon provide optimal user comfort with the latest in digital enabled optics and state-of-the-art ergonomics - bringing customers closer to the image, closer to the diagnosis, and closer to the answer.