MEMS confocal unit to achieve confocal fluorescence imaging
- Details
- Published on 17 November 2022
Hamamatsu Photonics has released a new multi-channel confocal unit called MAICO®. This MEMS* confocal unit can easily be attached to any microscope to achieve confocal fluorescence microscopy. This plug and play, compact unit is an affordable and complementary option to high-end confocal microscopes. It holds everything one may expect from a classical confocal set-up including a pinhole, filters, a laser source and a detector, yet its compact size is designed to be used right from a researcher’s lab desk.
MAICO® has a unique subunit structure that contains all the necessary components for each fluorescence band excitation and detection in a single unit. It supports single channel observation as well as up to four multi-channel (405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, and 638 nm) simultaneous excitation and observation.
Vital for the research of biological systems, confocal microscopes are not always accessible to laboratories. Their high-resolving power and their ability to capture images in the depth direction are essential to accurately observe samples. MAICO® was specifically developed for this purpose, to offer an affordable alternative without compromising on high-quality features.
It offers high speed, high sensitivity and a compact design that is capable of simultaneous multiband observation without bleed-through. As MAICOⓇ utilizes our most sensitive detectors and signal processing know-how, we were able to successfully reduce the laser power to a Class 3R. Therefore, it can be used in a normal laboratory environment, without the need for a laser-controlled area.
https://www.hamamatsu.com/eu/en/news/featured-products_and_technologies/2022/20220615000000.html