Confocal LSM 880

Introduction

The Zeiss LSM 880 with Airyscan is a new generation confocal instrument for more sensitivity, faster linear scanning and super-resolution (x1.7 improvement) imaging.

The system features a cooled GaAsP detector and two detectors that complement the spectral working range enabling flexible imaging strategies, including molecular dynamics, recording fluorescence at single photon signal levels and sequential spectral acquisition followed by unmixing of overlapped emission signals.

With the Airyscan detector the system achieves resolution enhancement by use of a radial array of 32 GaAsp detectors which utilizes light that otherwise would be rejected by the confocal pinhole, increasing signal to noise ratio by x4 to x8 times which is utilized to further speed up scanning, get higher sensitivity or increase resolution (by a factor of x1.7) in all 3 dimensions.

In Fast Airyscan mode, four pixel columns are simultaneously imaged utilizing 16 detector elements of the Airyscan detector’s center resulting in x4 faster acquisition with x4 improvement in SNR and x1.5 improvement in resolution.

The LSM 880 is attached to an upright fixed stage microscope (Axio Examiner Z1). The stage carrier can achieve total clearance of 80mm for experimentation on small animals.

 

Hardware

Lasers  
Diode laser 405nm,
Argon multiline 458, 488, 514nm
DPSS laser 561nm
HeNe laser 633nm

 

Objective lens Magnification NA coverslip Working distance Immersion Parfocal length
Plan Apochromat x10 0.45 0.17 mm 2 mm Air 45 mm
Plan Apochromat x20 0.8 0.17 mm 0.55 mm Air 45 mm
W Plan Apochromat x20 1.0 1.8 mm Water dipping 75 mm
W Plan Apochromat x40 1.0 2.5 mm Water dipping 45 mm
Plan Apochromat x63 1.4 0.17 0.19 mm Oil 45 mm

Acquisition

Acquisition is performed with the Zeiss proprietary ZEN 2.3 system software.

 

Analysis

The Zen software provides a wide range of 2D/3D image processing tools: export to TIFF, maximum projection, 3D reconstruction, 2D colocalization, spectral unmixing and more. For basic visualization and processing, you can download the free ZEN lite edition software. An offline full version is available for analysis at Computer IMARIS software. Output files can be opened by Imaris and ImageJ/FIJI for analysis.

 

New users

Please contact Maya Holdengreber, tel. +972-73-3781107, to coordinate a meeting.
Tips for immunofluorescence experiments.
Please prepare controls before starting a new model.

 

Reading material before first instruction session

Instruction LSM880 short
LSM880 usage instructions
Confocal laser scanning principles
Airyscan
Fast Airyscan

Reservations

The system can be reserved in the BookItLab online reservation system, LSM 800.