University of Heidelberg

ECLIPSE Ji Smart Imaging System

The ECLIPSE Ji is a fully digital inverted microscope system that combines High Content Screening and research-grade microscopy in a single hardware solution. The Smart Experiment module in NIS-Elements software for Ji can be used for automated High Content Screening using 15+ available assays (endpoint and timelapse). These include assays for cellular morphology, fluorescence intensity measurements, apoptosis analysis, and more. The Ji allows users to capture data with ease – whether tissue sections or culture dishes or multiwell plates. Built-in AI functions to automate tasks like focusing and acquisition parameter optimization.

ECLIPSE Ti2-E with CrestOptics X-Light V3 Confocal

Nikon’s ECLIPSE Ti2-E inverted microscope configured with the CrestOptics X-Light V3 spinning disk is ideal for high-end microscopy applications, offering optimized performance for various tasks such as fast cell dynamics in live specimens and effective optical sectioning in cleared tissues. The system leverages micro-lens technology for homogeneous illumination, which accelerates the process of qualitative and quantitative imaging on large samples.

N-STORM Localization-based Super-resolution Microscope

N-STORM is a super-resolution microscope system that combines “STochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy” technology and Nikon's ECLIPSE Ti2 research inverted microscope. The N-STORM super-resolution microscope provides dramatically enhanced resolution that is 10 times that of conventional optical microscopes and enables molecular level understanding.

A1R Confocal Microscope System

The A1R features a "hybrid scanner" (two scanners in one scanning-head).  A glavano scanner for low-noise images ranging in resolution from 64 x 64 up to 4096 x 4096 pixels and a resonant scanner that is capable of taking up to 30 full 512 x 512 pixel frames per second. Both scanners can be used in parallel: while the fast resonant scanner is acquiring images, the Galvano scanner may perform bleaching or activation of user-defined regions of interest.

TIRF Microscope with Widefield and Epifluorescence

The Nikon TIRF system with Nikon's H-TIRF module is an inverted and fully automated ECLIPSE Ti2 microscope with objective TIRF illumination. A Nikon Perfect Focus System (PFS of the 4th generation) is included that continuously determines the distance to the coverslip and readjusts it if necessary (to counteract thermal drift or vibrations). For live cell imaging of mammalian cells, the system is equipped with an on-stage incubation chamber from TokaiHit, controlling temperature, CO₂ concentration, and humidity.

N-SIM Super-Resolution Microscope System

The Nikon N-SIM structured illumination microscope on an ECLIPSE Ti inverted microscope is equipped with 4 lasers (405, 488, 561, 640nm), covering a wide range of fluorescent dyes. The N-SIM approximately doubles the resolution of conventional optical microscopes (to around 100nm lateral and 200nm axial) by combining the "structured illumination microscopy" technology licensed from UCSF. The system allows a time-resolution of 1.66 frames/s.

AX R Confocal with NSPARC detector

Nikon's AX R confocal features a 25 mm FOV, up to 8192 x 8192 pixel resolution, and is equipped with AI-based tools for simplifying acquisition and analysis. The AX R includes our high definition resonant scanner, which features a next-generation optical non-linear sampling digitizer, supporting imaging at high pixel densities of up to 2048 x 2048, and with superior image quality compared to other currently available resonant scanning systems.

The Nikon Spatial Array Confocal (NSPARC) detector utilizes an ultra-low noise detector array to collect a two-dimensional image at each scanned point. This method of image scanning microscopy (ISM) improves signal-to-noise ratio by increasing the available signal level while simultaneously allowing imaging with lower excitation power.

Ti2-HCS High Content Screening System

The Ti-HCS is a fully automated, inverted Nikon ECLIPSE Ti2 microscope made for high content screening tasks. The microscope is encased by a environmental box from OkoLab for temperature-, CO₂- and humidity control. The "JOBS" software module in Nikon's NIS-Elements acquisition software makes it possible to screen in x/y, z, and t everything from a LabTek dish to a multiwell plate. Images can be taken in brightfield and epifluorescence.

ECLIPSE Ni-E Motorized Upright Microscope

The ECLIPSE Ni-E is a fully motorized high-end upright research microscope mainly meant to image fixed samples that are either fluorescently labeled, histologically stained, or untreated. Fluorescent samples can be imaged in superior quality with a low noise, high sensitive Nikon DS-Qi2 black and white camera. Five filter cubes in the excitation/emission range of DAPI, FITC, TRITC, Texas Red and Cy5 are available. Histological sections may be imaged with a Nikon DS-Ri2 color camera that offers resolutions of up to 4908 x 3264 pixels. Untreated samples, even thin unlabelled cells, can be visualized by using Differential Interference Contrast (DIC). The Ni-E has a motorized stage that allows for automatic stitching: Areas on a slide larger than the field that a given objective can image can be automatically captured as a series of frames, which are then seamlessly stitched together by the NIS-Elements acquisition software. 

SMZ25 Stereo Microscope

The Nikon SMZ25 stereo microscope is a high-end, versatile optical instrument designed for advanced research applications, featuring a revolutionary zoom system and a large zoom range. The SMZ25 offers brightfield and epifluorescence illumination (X-Cite Xylis LED light source) in three channels: DAPI/EGFP/DsRed and provides exceptionally high-resolution images and a wide field of view, making it ideal for detailed, three-dimensional observations in fields like molecular biology, cell biology, neurobiology, embryology, developmental biology and systems biology.

SMZ1270 Stereo Microscope

The SMZ1270 is a stereo binocular with a Nikon Plan Apo 0.75 and a ED Plan 2X objective that can be used with epifluorescence (red and green excitation). The working distance is 107 and 35 mm. A zooming mechanism with a range from 0.63 to 8x is included (there is no camera or computer attached to this microscope).