Company Announcements

In August, DataDirect Networks announced a strategic partnership with Gatan for solutions for microscopy research environments and workflows, combining their respective high-performance data storage platform and cameras.

JEOL established in September the JEOL-Nikon CLEM Solution Center at a JEOL facility in Tokyo, Japan.

In September, ZEISS announced the ADAMOS (ADAptive Manufacturing Open Solutions) joint venture, an alliance to establish an open IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) platform for machine and plant building. The partners are DMG MORI, Dürr, Software AG and ASM PT. ADAMOS and ADAMOS App Factory will launch with 200 experts starting October 1.

ZEISS announced in September plans to build a shared €30 million ($33 million), 12,000 m² (129,000 ft²) innovation hub on the campus of Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. The organizations also entered into a strategic partnership. Construction will begin early next year and should be completed by the end of 2019. 3D printer developer Nanoscribe, in which ZEISS holds a stake, will be located at the hub. The facility will also house high-tech and digital startups.

In September, Nearfield Instruments, which is developing an ultrafast high-throughput AFM, announced investments by Samsung Venture Investments and Dutch investment fund Innovation Industries.

Optiscan announced in September a 3-year exclusive distribution agreement with China Gate Scientific for China. There is an option to extend the agreement for an additional 2 years.

Leica Microsystems and Canada’s CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center partnered in September to establish a microscope facility in Montreal. Leica has provided eleven high-end microscopy systems.

In September, Leica Microsystems announced that Rick HirchéII and ICMAS will be the company’s exclusive distributors for life science and industrial EM sample preparation solutions in the US states of Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.

Product Introductions

Nanopsis announced in June the introduction of the SMAL (Super-resolution Microsphere Amplified Lens) optical nanoscope, a lower-cost alternative for super-resolution microscopy. It has a resolving limit of sub-100 nm across the X, Y and Z planes, and a working distance of 35 nm.

In July, JEOL launched the 4D Canvas STEM detector, a multi-channel STEM detector with 264 x 264 channels. It features a signal-to-noise ratio as high as 300:1, and image acquisition of 1,000 fps or higher.

JEOL debuted in September the JSM-7610Plus FE-SEM, an upgraded model of its ultrahigh-resolution Schottky FE-SEM, featuring an improved electron optical system.

Andor Technology, an Oxford Instruments company, released in July a cost effective solution for the SRRF (Super-Resolution Radial Fluctuations)-Stream technique, a real-time super-resolution microscopy functionality that operates exclusively on its iXon Life and iXon Ultra EMCCD cameras. The technique can be used with standard widefield, TIRF (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence) and spinning disk confocal modalities.

According to the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), 4D Nature, a UC3M spinoff, introduced the Qis-scope, an ultra-fast 3D confocal microscope for live-cell imaging. The system is assembled, marketed and distributed by PlaneLight. Up to six different cells or cell types can be monitored in the same specimen. Measurements are taken at 200 images per second.

In September, Anton Paar launched the Tosca 400 AFM, which is specifically designed for industrial users. It features automation for ease of use.