News

Nikon Instruments Inc., a leader in the development of advanced optical technology, today announced significant enhancements to its newest generation confocal microscope, the Nikon LiveScan Swept Field Confocal Microscope (SFC).

Nikon's SFC represents an innovative and new approach to live cell confocal imaging. The product's enhanced capabilities stem from the design of a user selectable aperture for excitation and emission, with choices of multiple pinholes or a slit scanning position. In addition, the light path design of the instrument reduces crosstalk and noise inherent in live cell confocal instrumentation. This, coupled with the capability to scan very rapidly for very short excitation durations to prevent phototoxicity, makes the SFC a unique live cell imaging instrument.

New enhancements to the SFC include the following:

* Greater Aperture Choices. Users can now select from three pinhole radius sizes, or four separate slit sizes to match the magnification and numerical aperture of the objective lens used in the experiment. More aperture sizes mean a greater number of objectives can be used to produce confocal images. The slit positions are especially useful in neurophysiology applications for very high speed data acquisition.

* Upright Physiological Microscope Support. The LiveScan Swept Field Confocal Microscope (SFC) is now fully integrated with the Nikon FN1 upright physiological microscope.

* New Laser Options. New solid state laser options, gas options and high powered water cooled gas options are now available.

* Enhanced NIS-Elements User Interface. A simple to learn and use GUI for control of LiveScan SFC is exclusive to NIS-Elements. Experiments can be performed up to six dimensions (X,Y positions, Z, time, wavelengths) with LiveScan SFC and various third party devices.

* Faster Speeds. LiveScan SFC now supports fast piezoelectric Z and a variety of traditional and EMCCD detectors including the Nikon DQC-FS EMCCD camera with the acquisition techniques designed for 100% duty cycle acquisition rates.

* Rapid Scanning Rates. Speeds are now capable in excess of 1200 frames per second in slit position and up to 100 frames per second in multi pinhole position, using the appropriate detector hardware and software control.

The Nikon SFC's compact modular design is simple to use and easy to maintain, and makes easy and economical upgrades to the system possible as the user's needs evolve.