June 17, 2008 — Carl Zeiss, a provider of microscopy solutions for research, clinical and industrial applications, now offers the Axio Scope.A1, a flexible, high-performance modular microscope platform specially designed for routine applications in materials microscopy. New instrument solutions and the high-quality EC Epiplan line of objectives will meet the demands of users faced with specific routine tasks in industry. This new generation of microscopes has been tailored to the requirements of quality control and failure analysis.
The microscope features five different microscope upper bodies, three different lower bodies and two Vario columns which can be selected for the respective requirements and combined into an optimally customized microscope system. The Axio Scope A.1 offers exceptionally large scalability of the sample area height, which can be continuously set for sample sizes up to 380 mm high for numerous applications, depending on the configuration. Two-position sliders, four-position and six-position reflector turrets are available as reflector modules, depending on the application. It is possible to quickly and easily switch between the different contrasting techniques.
In addition to traditional contrasting techniques in reflected and transmitted light, such as brightfield, darkfield, DIC and polarization, Axio Scope.A1 also enables innovative techniques such as C-DIC and PlasDIC. The line of high-contrast EC Epiplan objectives was specially developed for routine applications. They produce a flat-field image for a 23 mm field of view and are available in brightfield and brightfield/darkfield versions. As they are produced with low strain, they are ideal for high-quality DIC microscopy. This line of objectives enables the innovative C-DIC technique (Differential Interference Contrast in circularly polarized light) with only a single prism.
Thanks to the modular design of the Axio Scope.A1, many components can be easily retrofitted by the customer, if required. ZEISS microscope cameras, such as the AxioCam ICc1 or ICc3 and AxioVision software, supplement the microscope.
The Axio Scope.A1 from Carl Zeiss was introduced at the Control show in Stuttgart from April 22 – 24, 2008.