Jan. 19, 2007 — JMAR Technologies Inc., a San Diego developer of advanced laser, high resolution imaging and photonics technologies, announced it has successfully hit the 50 nm resolution milestone targeted in the development of its compact soft X-ray microscope.

The company says its compact soft X-ray Microscope (XRM) bridges the sizeable gap between optical microscopes, which are typically greater than 200 nm resolution, and transmission electron microscopes that resolve feature sizes as small as 0.1 nm. Key advantages of the XRM include the ability to provide not only 2D images, but full 3D topographic reconstructions of whole cells, without altering the cell structure by slicing.

Additionally, soft X-rays provide natural contrast for cell imaging, eliminating the need for staining. This reduces sample preparation time and complexity, as compared to transmission electron microscopy, while still providing high resolution imaging.

“This is a significant milestone in the development of a commercially viable compact soft X-ray microscope. Researchers in the bio and life sciences will be able to do in their own labs what is currently only possible at a few large scale facilities worldwide,” said Oscar Hemberg, general manager of JMAR’s research division, in a prepared statement. “We are very excited over our development progress and the potential for high-resolution, single-cell tomography.”

JMAR is completing its first working prototype of the XRM. The company says there is active interest from several companies in partnering on the final development and commercialization of the instrument.