Nikon Instruments Inc., innovator of advanced microscope systems, today announced the release of the next generation confocal microscope series, AX and AX R.
This new confocal series features a completely re-designed scan head with 8k x 8K resolution*1, ultra-high speed resonant scanning, and world's largest*2 25mm field of view*3. Combined with a new user-friendly interface and advanced AI-based tools, the AX/AX R confocal series is designed to enable users to acquire data faster, with an unprecedented level of detail and ease.
Development Background
As biological research continues to trend toward systems level studies that range from molecules to whole cell populations, tissues, organoids, and even whole organisms, needs for microscopy have been similarly evolving. There is an increasing need to acquire data that is higher resolution, both spatially and temporally, for a larger range of specimens and with greater throughput. Nikon's 10th generation confocal microscope system, the AX/AX R, features improved pixel density, sensitivity, speed, and the world's largest field of view to meet these needs. A suite of AI-based tools assists users in acquisition, processing and analysis, while the streamlined user interface ensures ease of use. With its modular design, the AX/AX R confocal microscope system easily accommodates multi-modal experiments as well as future expansion to meet evolving research directions.
Main Features
1. Capture more data than ever before with 8K x 8K pixel density and a 25mm field of view
The AX and AX R enables 8192 × 8192pixel, high-resolution images to be obtained with the world's largest field of view (25mm). Now, ultrafine details can be easily captured even for large specimens. This feature is available for both inverted*4 and upright*5 microscope configurations, thereby supporting a wide range of research applications and fields.
In addition, with the AX R's high-speed resonant scanner users can acquire up to 720 frames per second at 2048 x 16 pixels. High-speed resonant scanning not only enables dynamic events to be easily captured but also reduces the amount of time required to image large, fixed specimens.
*4 ECLIPSE Ti2-E inverted research microscope
*5 ECLIPSE Ni-E motorized upright research microscope
2. Improved specimen viability for longer time-lapse imaging
The AX/AX R features detector units that are twice as sensitive as conventional models*6, with a ~30% reduction in dark current noise*7. With increased sensitivity and reduced noise, lower illumination power can be used for imaging even dim specimens, minimizing photobleaching and phototoxicity. Combined with high-speed resonant scanning which further decreases exposure time, specimen viability is greatly extended, enabling extreme, long-term time-lapse imaging.
