Company Announcements

In March, Abberior Instruments co-exclusively licensed rights to Leica Microsystems’ light microscopy product portfolio. In return, Abberior co-exclusively licensed IP rights to Leica. The rights pertain to the use of high-resolution light microscopy known as nanoscopy.

In May, Thermo Fisher Scientific and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) opened the Electron Microscopy Center of Excellence at the KAUST campus in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. It builds on the parties’ long standing relationship. As part of the opening, KAUST commissioned the FEI Titan Themis Z S/TEM, the first such system to be installed worldwide. The center has already installed 16 microscopes from Thermo Fisher.

ZEISS Research & Technology sales for the fiscal half year, ending March 31, grew 3.3% to €743 million ($790 million) to make up 29% of total revenues (see IBO 5/15/17).

In May, JPK Instruments announced a collaboration with Abberior Instruments, a provider of super-resolution microscopes, involving its demonstration center in Berlin, Germany. The companies have launched a program to demonstrate the combined features of their respective NanoWizard AFMs and STEDYCON system. Abberior’s STEYCON is a compact STED (STimulated Emission Depletion) combined with a confocal microscope.

The Salk Institute’s Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center and ZEISS announced in June a partnership agreement, enabling access to ZEISS technology before its commercial availability. Techniques that will be used include high-speed 4D fluorescence imaging, and cryo-correlative fluorescence and electron microscopy,

Product Introductions

In May, ZEISS announced ZEISS ZEN 2 core for imaging analysis and interactive control of microscopes.  It is designed to connect systems, data, and workflow and features a single GUI.

Thermo Fisher Scientific introduced in May plasma FIB technology for its FEI Helios G4 DualBeam Series, which enables the analysis of a relevant set of features that are too large for conventional gallium FIB. It is available in two models: the CXe with a flexible 110 mm DC stage and the UXe with a high-performance 150 mm piezo stage.

In May, Oxford Instruments launched Symmetry, calling it the world’s first CMO-based EBSD detector. It features an acquisition speed in excess of 3,000 indexed patterns per second, which will open up new applications in fields such as in situ experiments, and the study of bio- and nanocrystalline materials.

Leica Microsystems debuted in May the DMi8 S live-cell imaging solution. It features the Synapse real-time controller for faster data acquisition and the LAS X Navigator for visualizing all types of samples. The system’s modular Infinity Port architecture enables the addition of fluorescence capabilities with the Infinity TIRF for executing simultaneous multicolor EPI, Hi-Lo and TIRF illumination, as well as high-powered illumination options for super-resolution applications. The Infinity Scanner photomanipulation scanner also can be added to take advantage of the latest developments in photoactivatable and photo-switchable fluorescent proteins.

Hitachi High-Technologies introduced in May the Regulus series of FE-SEM, comprising four models. The Regulus8100 (resolution down to 1.1 nm) is the successor to the SU8010, and the Regulus8220, Regulus 8230 and Regulus8240 (resolution down to 0.9 nm) extend the function of the SU8200 series with the use of a common platform. The systems feature enhanced functionality, improved resolution and operability, and a new cold FEG for improved resolution. Sales are forecast to be 300 annually.

In May, JEOL launched the NEOARM (JEM-ARM200F) TEM, featuring the new ASCOR (Advanced STEM Corrector) spherical aberration corrector that compensates for higher-order aberrations. It features a cold FEG and a new STEM detector for enhanced contrast of light elements.

JEOL also released in May the JEM-1400Flash TEM, which is equipped with a high-sensitivity CMOS camera, an ultra-wide-area montage system and a new sample exchange system. It also has an optical microscope–image linkage function, which allows a digital image from an optical microscope to be overlaid onto a TEM image.

In June, JEOL USA introduced the JSM-7900F FE-SEM, a flexible, easy-to-use instrument. It features the new NeoEngine electron optical system and the new Smile Navi navigation system.

Olympus launched in June the redesigned BX53 biological microscope, featuring a new high-luminosity LED. The redesign includes easier operation, with the integrated Light Intensity Manager and a new 40X objective lens.

In June, Park Systems released the affordable Park NX12, an inverted optical microscope–based SPM platform for scanning ion-conductance microscopy, scanning electrochemical microscopy and scanning electrochemical cell microscopy. The system combines a NX10 base with NX-Bio’s XY stage that mounts on an inverted optical microscope. It offers ease of use in both air and liquid, and a platform for pipette-based SPM techniques.

Sales/Orders of Note

In June, TESCAN announced the installation of its first high-resolution FIB-SEM in Southeast Asia, with a TESCAN GAIA3 placed at Fabrinet’s Thailand facilities. Fabrinet is a manufacturer of components and modules for optical communication systems, as well as industrial lasers and sensors.