The new PALM MicroBeam IV uses a contact-free optical technique to cut a sample and enable further viewing. (Image: Carl Zeiss MicroImaging)

September 21, 2007 — Carl Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH, provider of microscopy tools, introduces the PALM MicroBeam IV, a system designed to cleanly extract even the smallest biomaterials from heterogeneous tissue and cell colonies. The patented Laser Microdissection and Pressure Catapulting (LMPC) process at its core promises a pure and contact-free optical technique that is gentle enough to facilitate microdissection and manipulation of even living cells in culture.

The PALM MicroBeam enables users to harvest ultra-pure biomolecules for downstream research. Researchers can refine raw materials right on the microscope slide or inside the culture dish by visual and automatic identification, outlining the relevant area for non-contact extraction via fully-automated laser ablation. After a clear separation between the wanted and unwanted material is established, a laser pulse delivers mechanical force to the sample, catapulting the specimen toward the receptacle for further viewing.

The PALM MicroBeam boasts an ergonomic, intuitive design. The system adjusts easily to a variety of source material, and the inverted configuration optimizes work with both membrane-coated slides, and glass slides with archived specimen.

The PALM is available in several configurations, including with Carl Zeiss’s Axio Observer inverted research microscope and AxioVision software for automatic object recognition. Multichannel fluorescence and automated image analysis enable even weak fluorescence signals to be visualized brilliantly.