Phasefocus at mmc 2014 – Stand number 804
Come and visit us - see demonstrations of the Phasefocus Virtual Lens® for label-free cell imaging
Phasefocus will be demonstrating the VL21 microscopy imaging system, a member of our family of innovative phase microscopy systems for live cell imaging using the Phasefocus Virtual Lens®. The Virtual Lens (VL) acquisition and processing engine uses a technique known as ptychography, to provide quantitative, high contrast, label-free images of cells for long term time-lapse studies.
The use of fluorescent probes is commonplace for labelling cell specimens. However, when used in living cells, these can be toxic and can perturb natural cell function. Moreover, the relatively high laser illumination power levels typically used in conventional confocal fluorescent microscopy can be phototoxic to cells. The Phasefocus VL20 upright and VL21 inverted live cell imaging systems obtain extremely high contrast images of cells without the need for labels or stains, and they require only very low levels of laser power. This enables long term multi-area time-lapse cell imaging to be performed over many hours or even days. The resulting high contrast quantitative image information can be used for downstream processing and output of a variety of cell culture assay information.
The Virtual Lens provides an iterative solution of the diffraction pattern phase problem and is applicable to visible light imaging, X-ray imaging and atomic resolution electron imaging.
Dr Rakesh Suman, KTP Associate in the Imaging & Cytometry unit at the University of York using the Phasefocus Virtual Lens system
Phasefocus is sponsoring the session “Frontiers in BioImaging: Label-free Microscopy” chaired by Dr. Peter O’Toole, Manager of the Imaging and Cytometry group at the University of York in the Department of Biology together with Professor Gail McConnell, the Chair of Biophotonics at the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Strathclyde.
Dr O’Toole is presenting an invited paper entitled “Ptychography – Label-free, High Contrast ad Quantitative Imaging of the Cell Cycle, Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis.”
Dr O’Toole has described ptychography as “one of the most important breakthroughs in imaging. It addresses many of the fundamental problems inherent in current microscopy techniques. Put simply, what you get is more than what you see! Artefacts of sample preparation which may arise from labelling or use of markers are negated. I have been most impressed by Phasefocus and their ability to quickly respond to feedback and then to develop products to meet the needs of the user.”
Phasefocus’s applications specialist, Dr Tim Godden, is presenting a paper on 3D multi-slice ptychography: “Towards tomographic label-free microscopy.” Dr Godden recently published a paper on this subject in Optics Express. Click here to read more: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?uri=oe-22-10-12513
Visit stand #804 and we will give you a FREE USB stick with papers about ptychography and a comprehensive bibliography list.
B104 Neuronal cells imaged using the VL-21 system
Learn more about the VL21 system - Come and discuss your needs with the team from Phasefocus in Manchester or call us on – ask for Joanne Whetstone or email her: . Or visit www.phasefocus.com .