What is confocal used for?
Confocal microscopy, most frequently confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) or laser confocal scanning microscopy (LCSM), is an optical imaging technique for increasing optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by means of using a spatial pinhole to block out-of-focus light in image formation.
What is a confocal lens?
In geometry, confocal means having the same foci: confocal conic sections. For an optical cavity consisting of two mirrors, confocal means that they share their foci. In optics, it means that one focus or image point of one lens is the same as one focus of the next lens.
How much does a confocal cost?
Leica Microsystem’s high resolution confocal imaging system is available to you even if you are working with a small budget. For a limited time, get the Leica TCS SPE Personal Confocal at the starting price of $79,999, bringing your lab everything needed to get started with confocal imaging.
Does confocal microscope use lenses?
Conventional microscopes project out-of-focus images just above and below the principal plane, which tend to blur the target image. The second critical component of a confocal microscope is the objective lens, which determines the overall resolution of the system.
Is confocal microscopy fluorescence?
Similar to the widefield microscope, the confocal microscope uses fluorescence optics. Instead of illuminating the whole sample at once, laser light is focused onto a defined spot at a specific depth within the sample. This leads to the emission of fluorescent light at exactly this point.
What is immersion oil do?
Immersion oil increases the resolving power of the microscope by replacing the air gap between the immersion objective lens and cover glass with a high refractive index medium and reducing light refraction. Nikon manufactures four types of Immersion Oil for microscopy.
Is confocal microscopy expensive?
And yes, confocal microscopes are very expensive, plus you need a dark, extra room to place it in and someone who can handle it. Depends on what you want to do with it (how many lasers, software plugins, objectives, filters, incubator chamber and so on) it can get hella expensive.
What causes autofluorescence?
Cellular autofluorescence can be due to the presence of collagen and elastin, cyclic ring compounds such as NADPH and riboflavin, aromatic amino acids and cellular organelles such as mitochondria and lysosomes.
What kind of lens does a Nikon confocal microscope use?
Nikon’s industry-leading optics, including silicone immersion lenses, a perfect autofocusing mechanism (PFS) for uninterrupted time-lapse imaging, and powerful NIS-Elements software elevate these confocal systems to the next level.
What does the Nikon ax / ax your confocal microscope do?
Introducing the Nikon AX/AX R Confocal Microscope System, our 10th generation point scanning confocal, giving you more of everything: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), expanding the number of colors, improving pixel density, sensitivity and speed.
Which is the new standard in confocal imaging?
These are significant additions in terms of expanding the range of experiments possible with a point scanning confocal, while increasing the usability and functionality of the instrument, all in a modular and upgradable platform. Nikon AX is the new standard in confocal imaging.
What can Nikon do for live cell imaging?
Nikon provides a broad range of high-NA objectives with unrivaled optical quality to redefine the boundaries of confocal imaging. Options include silicone oil immersion objectives for thick live cell imaging, large-FOV low-magnification objectives and easy-to-use dry objectives.