Jul 21 2007
The improved external filter wheels from Leica Microsystems feature three outstanding characteristics.
They are fast, vibration-free due to their small size, and offer exceptional versatility. Because the excitation and emission light can be selected in just 30 milliseconds or so, and individual excitation colors can be attenuated just as quickly, the optimized filter wheels are suitable even for highly complex experiments such as FRET or Fura (Ca++ imaging). Particularly for FRET experiments, it is important to synchronize fast excitation and emission changes.
Together with the new filter wheels, the powerful Leica LAS and AF6000 LX software solutions make these short switchover times possible. Leica Microsystems engineers have designed a new control component for the filter wheels. Depending on the application, various filters can be selected for the five positions of the wheels; Leica also offers specific, prefabricated application packages.
Together with the Leica EL6000 alignment-free external light source introduced in 2005, the new filter wheels are an ideal application package for fluorescence microscopy. With the ultrafast shutter of the EL6000, which shuts off the excitation light in approximately 6ms, the time resolution of fluorescence signals can be optimized even further. A no less important feature is the light source, connected to the microscope by means of a fiber-optic connection. It does not heat up the stand and provides uniform illumination at all times—an added advantage for long-term experiments and living cell examinations.
http://www.leica-microsystems.com/