Microscope

An electron microscope that won't destroy living cells

By Darren Quick

23:19 October 6, 2009 PDT

Instead of light, traditional high-resolution electron microscopes use a particle beam of electrons to illuminate a specimen. However, the particle beam also destroys the samples, meaning that electron microscopes can’t be used to image living cells. Electrical engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have proposed a new scheme that can overcome this critical limitation by using a quantum mechanical measurement technique that allows electrons to sense objects remotely without ever hitting the imaged objects, thus avoiding damage. Read More

3D cryo-imager can identify a single cancer cell

By Mick Webb

10:22 October 1, 2009 PDT

Recent developments in the fight against cancer have promised better ways to both identify and treat the disease. Adding to the ever growing list of advancements is Dave Wilson, a Professor of biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Frustrated by blurry low resolution optical images of diseased tissues, he has developed a cryo-imaging system which can identify and pinpoint the exact location and number of cancer cells in a particular area while displaying the findings as a detailed three dimensional color cyber model. Read More

Carl Zeiss launches new MERLIN electron microscope

By Stephen Saunders

19:29 July 5, 2009 PDT

Like the wizard from the King Arthur legend, the new MERLIN electron microscope has a few tricks up its sleeve. The new Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, more conveniently described as a FESEM, from Carl Zeiss SMT AG is designed to overcome the standard trade-offs between image resolution and the analytical capability. Read More

Up close with Extech's digital microscope and camera

By David Greig

23:52 May 20, 2009 PDT

The world unseen, or barely seen, by the naked eye is full of mystery and surprise. For many professions, however, it's also part of the job. People employed to inspect printed circuit boards or the quality of fabrics, verify fingerprints or investigate counterfeit currency and forensics, research plants or appraise gems – the list goes on – all need to look at their worlds in microscopic detail. Extech Instruments' hand-held digital microscope with camera has just the portability and functionality that makes getting close to their job a whole lot easier. Read More

The CellScope: transforming the cell phone into a mobile microscope

By Karen Sprey

20:09 April 14, 2009 PDT

The CellScope is a revolutionary attachment that turns a standard camera-enabled cell phone into a clinical quality microscope, with magnification up to 50X. Health workers in developing countries, where expensive equipment, facilities and on-the-ground physicians are scarce, will be able to use the mobile microscope to quickly and easily capture images of blood cells, lesions and infections and transmit them via the cell phone network to remote experts for analysis and diagnosis. Read More

Celestron showcases latest handheld digital microscope

By Noel McKeegan

18:19 January 20, 2009 PST

A simple to use tool for capturing the fine detail of almost any object from coins, plants and rocks to electronic circuit boards, Celestron's new handheld USB digital microscope provides 10x to 40x and 150x magnification and a 1.3mp digital camera for capturing stills and video. Read More

The world's most advanced electron microscope

By Darren Quick

23:52 October 21, 2008 PDT

Microscopes have been an integral tool for scientists for hundreds of years, opening up the world that surrounds us and providing countless scientific breakthroughs. Now the most advanced and powerful electron microscope on the planet—capable of unprecedented resolution—has been installed in the new Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University in Ontario. Read More

The ORION PLUS helium ion microscope

By Kyle Sherer

04:03 August 5, 2008 PDT

Carl Zeiss SMT has introduced an improved version of its helium ion microscope at the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 exhibition: the ORION PLUS. By focusing helium ions into a beam, instead of electrons, the microscope can offer higher focus with lower sample damage. Read More

Optiscan's Endomicroscope speeds up the fight against cancer

By Loz Blain

16:54 June 23, 2008 PDT

June 24, 2008 In order to view cells at a high enough magnification to identify cancerous and pre-cancerous growths, doctors currently have to perform biopsy surgery - the invasive removal of cells so they can be examined in a laboratory. But a new Australian endoscope technology is about to remove the need for a biopsy altogether by offering doctors the ability to examine tissue at single-cell and sub-cellular magnification levels as the camera moves through the body. Optiscan's miniature endomicroscope offers up to 1000x magnification as opposed to the 40x magnification of traditional endoscopes, and will greatly speed up the detection and diagnosis of cancerous cells. Read More

Researchers develop health-screening nanodevice

By Kyle Sherer

18:15 March 27, 2008 PDT

March 28, 2008 Arizona State University researcher Wayne Frasch has designed a method of DNA detection that is faster and more portable than any other current model. The result is a biosensing nanodevice that could transform security screening and health testing. Read More

New digital microscopes from Celestron

By Jude Garvey

15:49 January 10, 2008 PST

January 11, 200 Celestron, the people who brought us the SkyScout Scope refractor telescope has released two new microscopes, a USB-powered handheld digital microscope (HDM) and a new LCD Digital Microscope (LDM) aimed at hobbyists. The HDM allows you to view and capture still or video images at 20 to 400 times magnification power and view on your computer screen via the USB cable while the LDM has a high-resolution 3.5” (88mm) LCD screen so users can view the images and video they have captured and saved. Read More

ORION helium ion microscope

By Kyle Sherer

16:23 October 30, 2007 PDT

October 31, 2007 A revolutionary type of microscope that uses a beam of helium ions to provide significantly higher resolution images than commonly used electron microscopes promises a new era in sub-nanometer, ultra-high resolution scanning microscopy. Read More

The LouseBuster eradicates Head Lice without chemicals

By Mike Hanlon

November 8, 2006 Whatever your opinion of head lice, it must be said that they are fair creatures as they do not discriminate by race, religion, gender or social status. Each year, somewhere between 6 million and 12 million Americans are infested with head lice, making children miss 12 million to 24 million school days, as lice have developed resistance to many of the currently used insecticide shampoos. Now biologists have invented a chemical-free, hairdryer-like device they have dubbed the LouseBuster which eradicates head lice infestations on children without the use of chemicals. A study published in the November 2006 issue of the journal Pediatrics "shows our invention has considerable promise for curing head lice," says Dale Clayton, the University of Utah biology professor who led the research and co-invented the machine. Read More

X-Loupe turns your Canon IXUS into a digital microscope

By Mike Hanlon

August 6, 2006 We love technologies that enable new techniques, help lots of people and generally add massive value while costing very little, and you can tick all those boxes for the X-Loupe. The X-Loupe is an attachment for Canon IXUS compact cameras that transforms the camera into a 150X handheld, lightweight, digital microscopic capable of 5MPX photography. The X-Loupe weighs only 300 grams, works in still or video mode, comes with its own dimmable LED lens ring so that you can illuminate your subject perfectly, has a Japanese-made Lithium Ion battery that’s good for four hours or 150 shots and has all the preview, TV-connectivity of the IXUS. Accordingly, we can think of hundreds of applications where the X-Loupe can be used - education, medical, documenting medical conditions, industrial process, quality control, archaeology, authentication, research ad infinitum. Sold as a bundle on-line, the Canon IXUS 65 camera and X-Loupe PRO comes with three lens (60X, 100X and 150X) for US$1849 retail and the company is seeking international distributors. Extensive image library. Read More

The Scalar DG-3 - third generation Portable Digital Microscope

By Mike Hanlon

March 31, 2006 A fortnight from now, Scalar Corporation will begin shipping the DG-3, the third generation of what was the world's first portable digital microscope. If you’re unaware of the capabilities available in a touch-and-view, portable microscope, we suggest you might review the following, as it seems to us that it has application in almost every production, maintenance and non-destructive testing process known to man. The strength of the DG-3 is its extreme portability, meaning it can be used in the field or factory, in a fuselage, on animals … basically anywhere. Surfaces are magnified with its LED illuminated lenses from 25x to 1000x and then imaged by its 2.3 megapixel sensor complete with calibrated measurement (micron) bars in the image. Scalar microscopes are used for sophisticated and mission-critical inspection by companies such as NASA, Boeing, the United Space Alliance, car manufacturer s, airlines and the military but as the unit has matured and become more readily available, we envision the DG-3 being used wherever it’s important to understand what’s happening on a micron level. Read More

Proscope digital microscope

By Mike Hanlon

Looking like an instrument that a doctor might use to examine your inner ear, the ProScope's digital microscope is a handheld digital device that can display and capture true-colour images on your computer via a USB connection. Read More