Waltham, Mass. – Olympus has introduced two tools that allow researchers to benefit from enhanced live-cell imaging capabilities, longer time-lapse microscopy experiments and an easier user interface. The updated IX3-ZDC2 focus compensation system and cellSens version 1.14 software expand customization options for inverted microscope users and provide important new tools for life science research.

The IX3-ZDC2 autofocus module allows scientists to produce sharper images with the IX83 microscope over long periods by preventing focal drift. The add-on module is designed to enable time-lapse experiments of up to several weeks, depending on the experimental protocol. The system also features:

· Rapid focus for high-speed imaging (96-well plate in approximately two minutes)

· Compatibility with cost-effective plastic-bottom dishes

· Speed – four times faster than the previous unit at finding the focal plane

· Greater transmission in the UV

· Compatibility with more than 40 objectives

· Supports low-magnification objectives for enhanced screening

· Motorized in/out dichromatic mirror

The latest cellSens v. 1.14 software supports both the cell^FRAP module for Olympus IX3 inverted microscope platforms and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis using Gordon, Xia and Elangovan algorithms. It also features streamlined data accessibility for well plate applications. The cellSens v1.14 Well Plate Navigator in combination with the database application offers intuitive, graphical navigation for easy access to complex well plate data, dramatically improving organization and helping to speed well plate experiments from image to information.

The IX3-ZDC2 and cellSens v. 1.14 are designed to support the Olympus IX3 inverted microscope platform and particularly the fully motorized IX83 microscope, a flexible and customizable system with almost unlimited capability for expansion to suit a multitude of imaging applications. The new add-ons facilitate advanced experiments with an easy, intuitive and seamless workflow from image capture through measurement, analysis and report creation.

For more information on the IX3-ZDC2 focus compensation system and cellSens v.1.14 software, contact Andrew Samuelsson at andrew.samuelsson@olympus.com, Russell Ulbrich at russell.ulbrich@olympus.com, or local Olympus representatives or authorized dealers; or visit www.olympus-lifescience.com.

About Olympus

Olympus Corporation is an international precision technology leader operating in industrial, medical, academic and consumer markets, specializing in optics, electronics, and precision engineering. As a subsidiary of Olympus Corporation, Olympus Scientific Solutions Americas is an integral part of the global Olympus network with specific responsibility for the sales and marketing of life science and industrial instrumentation in the Americas. The company’s core product lineup comprises clinical, educational, and research microscopes, nondestructive testing equipment, and analytical instruments, all designed with an unwavering commitment to enhancing people’s lives every day and contributing to the safety, security, quality, and productivity of society. For more information, visitwww.olympus-lifescience.com.