Coincident focus microscopy is like confocal microscopy, only the illumination passes through a different region of the objective lens than does the returning light that contains the image. It is important to have an unused region separating the illumination and observation areas of the objective lens, and for the edges of the unused region to gradually fade from transparent to opaque, to eliminate artifacts that would otherwise appear.
With this, it becomes possible to simultaneously illuminate and observe the regions of interest in tissue, and not the tissue in front or behind those regions. If tissue isn't illuminated, it becomes invisible. For conventional viewing, this results in greatly improved image contrast and resolution.
However, the really big advantage of coincident focus microscopy is its ability to resolve individual sub-micron points in tissue so well that quantitative measurements can be made, without significant degradation from surrounding tissue. Using UV illumination this allows limited chemical analysis at individual isolated 3-D points within tissue. With this, it is possible to build 3-D images showing the chemistry at full UV resolution.
This new method was developed to diagram brains, but has applications throughout the biological sciences.
This technology obsoletes confocal microscopes, because there is nothing that a confocal microscope can do that a coincident focus microscope can't do better.
We are here to help microscope manufacturers and researchers convert over from confocal to coincident focus methods. We offer free on-line support via our blog, affordable consulting, and we charge modest licensing fees because we would rather collect a little, than have to litigate to collect more.
Author: Steve Richfield
With this, it becomes possible to simultaneously illuminate and observe the regions of interest in tissue, and not the tissue in front or behind those regions. If tissue isn't illuminated, it becomes invisible. For conventional viewing, this results in greatly improved image contrast and resolution.
However, the really big advantage of coincident focus microscopy is its ability to resolve individual sub-micron points in tissue so well that quantitative measurements can be made, without significant degradation from surrounding tissue. Using UV illumination this allows limited chemical analysis at individual isolated 3-D points within tissue. With this, it is possible to build 3-D images showing the chemistry at full UV resolution.
This new method was developed to diagram brains, but has applications throughout the biological sciences.
This technology obsoletes confocal microscopes, because there is nothing that a confocal microscope can do that a coincident focus microscope can't do better.
We are here to help microscope manufacturers and researchers convert over from confocal to coincident focus methods. We offer free on-line support via our blog, affordable consulting, and we charge modest licensing fees because we would rather collect a little, than have to litigate to collect more.
Author: Steve Richfield
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Steve Richfield:
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