Bioscience Products Fact Sheet

Description

Nikon Instruments, Inc. is a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical and digital imaging technology for biomedical applications. Now in its 93rd year, Nikon provides complete optical systems that offer optimal versatility, performance and productivity. Cutting-edge instruments include microscopes, precision measuring equipment, digital imaging products and software. Nikon Instruments is the microscopy and instrumentation arm of Nikon Inc., the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology.

Executive Team

Yoshinobu Ishikawa – President and CEO
Lee C. Shuett – Executive Vice President
Stanley A. Schwartz – Vice President, Microscopy Product/Marketing Division
Stephen T. Ross – Senior Scientist and Manager of Products & Technology
Jim Hamlin – Sales Manager, Microscopy Division
Eric S. Flem – Communications Manager

Products

The following are descriptions for a wide range of cell biology products from Nikon Instruments. These products exemplify Nikon’s integration of microscopes, digital detectors and NIS-Elements software imaging platform.

This corresponds to the overall theme that Nikon provides instrumentation for;
“Imaging at the Speed of Life”

Applications for Cell Biology Microscopy and Imaging

Super Resolution Microscopy

• N-STORM Super-Resolution Microscope System incorporates the Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) methodology and is designed to realize resolution higher than ever before achieved by conventional optical microscopes. It exceeds traditional diffraction limits by an order of magnitude and is capable of 3D acquisition. N-STORM is based on the world renowned Nikon Eclipse Ti research inverted microscope incorporating CFI60 objectives featuring high numerical aperture developed using unique optical design, coating and manufacturing techniques. N-STORM provides dramatically enhanced resolution 10 times or better than that of conventional optical microscopes. It is capable of multi-spectral two-dimensional and three-dimensional nanoscopy, with lateral resolution to approximately 20nm and axial resolution to approximately 50nm, extending the role of the optical microscope to near molecular level resolution. The N-STORM Super Resolution microscope system will not only provide high-resolution two-dimensional image acquisition capability, but with the addition of a 3D optical device switchover built in the microscope, it will also acquire multi-color high-resolution fluorescence images of the same specimen in 3D, without the need for time consuming serial acquisition.

• N-SIM Super-Resolution Microscope System incorporates Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) technology from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Office of Technology Management to greatly exceed the resolution limits of conventional optical microscopes, making it possible to view microstructures and nanostructures of fixed and living cells with molecular-scale resolution. The N-SIM Super Resolution microscope system can produce two times the resolution of conventional optical microscopes by combining SIM technology licensed from UCSF and based on the world renowned Eclipse Ti research inverted microscope with Nikon’s legendary CFI Apo TIRF 100x oil objective lens (N.A. 1.49). In addition, N-SIM provides the fastest imaging capability in the industry, with a time resolution of 0.6 sec/frame and is effective for live-cell imaging. Also, the newly developed TIRF-SIM illumination technique enables Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) observation with higher resolution than conventional TIRF microscopes and gives more detailed structural information near the cell membrane.

Multiphoton: Deep Imaging at the Speed of Life

• A1R MP Multiphoton and Confocal Microscope System is a high speed, high resolution, and high sensitivity multiphoton excitation and confocal fluorescence imaging. A1R-MP is a unique multiphoton imaging system that features a high resolution galvanometer scanner and a high speed resonance scanner is capable of frame rates from 30 fps at 512 X 512 pixels to as fast as 420 fps in band scan mode. New 4 channel non-descanned detectors with higher sensitivity, reduced dark current, and broad spectral range allow for real time unmixing of closely spaced probes for accurate and high-contrast spectral imaging, so important in multiphoton imaging because of the overlap of emission spectra of probes and autofluorescence often unavoidable when a single laser line is used. The Nikon A1R-MP also features a newly developed one click auto-alignment of multiphoton excitation laser allowing for fast set-up, wavelength changes, GVD compensation and total ease of use. This device also completely encloses the beam within the instrument from the laser to the objective lens, a huge improvement in the operating safety of multiphoton imaging systems.

High Performance Objectives for Live Cell Imaging

• Lambda S (λS) Objective Series – The λS objective series provides the highest numerical apertures (NA) for water immersion objectives yet. The CFI APO LWD 40X WI λS objective with NA 1.15 and a working distance of 610 microns incorporates Nikon’s new Nano Crystal Coat. Nano Crystal Coat provides high transmissions over an expanded correction range from the violet through the near IR range, a true innovation for high performance multiphoton imaging.

• Nano Crystal Coat – Using an antireflective coating that virtually eliminates internal lens element reflections across a wide range of wavelengths, Nano Crystal Coat is particularly effective in reducing ghost and flare peculiar to ultra-wide-angle lenses. Nano Crystal Coat employs multiple layers of Nikon’s extra-low refractive index coating, which features ultra-fine crystallized particles of nanometer size.

Stem Cell Incubation, Culturing and Monitoring

• CL-Quant Automated Image Analysis Software – The software features routines for assaying stem cell viability by label-free phase and fluorescence analysis and utilizes a unique set of preconfigured routines for standard assays. It has a teachable interface for analysis creation and batch-processing for large time-lapse image data sets. The CL-Quant Automated Image Analysis Software is intended for use with Nikon’s Biostation CT.

• BioStation CT – The world’s first integrated and automated cell culturing and observation system that images cells without removal from the incubation chamber. Biostation CT is ideal for identifying cellular health, proliferation rates and pluripotency while minimizing the stress on cells and enabling simultaneous multiple users with multiple experiments. With integrated robotics and auto-focus, BioStation CT can handle up to 30 well plates or flasks. An image analysis suite quantitatively measures cellular events and is capable of high-content analysis.

Imaging Software: Bringing Workflow Together for Powerful Data Analysis

• NIS-Elements Software Version 3.1 - Nikon's NIS-Elements revolutionizes imaging software for the microscopy market by combining automated intelligence to microscopes, cameras, components and peripherals with powerful archiving, analysis, visualization and archiving tools. Its intuitive interface simplifies workflow and speeds up image acquisition times while providing powerful features such as image stitching, object counting and volume views. NIS-Elements makes it possible to capture, display, analyze and export data generated from 6-D datasets. Volume and tiled views, image counts, live graphing and intensity information are available during acquisition; and, as the quantity and complexity of image datasets increase, NIS-Elements adds the necessary intuitive workflow and controls for data extraction, management and export.

Headquarters

1300 Walt Whitman Road
Melville, NY 11747-3064

Media Contact

Nicole Bott
Peppercom for Nikon Instruments Inc.
212.931.6168
nbott@peppercom.com

Advertising Contact

Keith Todd
Shaw & Todd Advertising
908.333.4153
ktodd@shawtodd.com