With the Leica TCS SP8 you can do routine, multispectral imaging with improved resolution (down to 120 nm).

The microscope

Leica DMi8 inverted and automated microscope with a motorized XY-stage. Observation modes in addition to confocal imaging are brightfield and epifluorescence.

Focus drives

• Motorized objective nosepiece (9 mm travel range in Z)
• SuperZ galvanometer stage (1500 um travel range in Z) for higher speed and accuracy.

Scanners

• Galvo scanner (adjustable speed 0 – 1800 Hz), up to 7 frames /sec at 512 x 512 pixels image format can be achieved.

Objectives

• The 20x immersion objective is for water, glycerine and immersion oil
• The 40x water objective have a motorized correction collar

Condenser lens

Condenser lens: NA 0.55 (S28), air, working distance 0.28 mm

Solid state lasers

• An acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) controls the intensity of the visible excitation laser light.
• Dichroic beam splitters and notch filters are used to split excitation light and emission light.

Detectors

Internal detectors (with pinhole) in reflection mode with freely tunable emission bands in the range 400 – 800 nm.

• 2 x HyD (GaAsP detectors)
• 3 x PMT (standard photomultiplier tube)

One external PMT (without pinhole) in transmission mode.

Light for epi-fluorescence and transmitted light

• HXP 120 W, 2000 h bulb time
• LED brigthfield light source

Filter cubes for epi-fluorescence

Software on the SP8 computer

Leica LAS AX version 3.5.5 with software modules

• LAS X Navigator
• LAS X Assay Editor
• LAS X 3D Vizualisation
• LAS X Lightning for improved resolution
• Advanced Mark and Find

Accessories

Stage-top incubation (heating only)