Olympus AX70 Microscope & Magnifier User Manual


 
10
ILLUMINATION
VERSATILITY
Application example
Field stop and aperture stop units
for easy attachment of laser and
other special illuminators.
Removable field stop and aperture
stop units facilitate simple attachment
and detachment of laser and
additional illuminators. This versatility
permits application-specific incident
light illumination. In particular, it
enables laser illumination for laser
manipulation and caged compound
release photoactivation.
Twin-lamp housing configuration
with a quick, one-touch illumination
changeover.
Two lamp housings can be mounted
simultaneously onto the AX70 to
significantly expand the microscope’s
potential. Infrared IR excitation and
conventional ultraviolet UV excitation
are both required when fluorescence
microscopy moves toward multi-
staining. However, this requires
switching the light source from the
conventional mercury burner to a
halogen source. The twin-lamp
housing configuration on the AX70
makes the switchover between the
mercury burner and halogen source a
simple operation.
Quick excitation light switchover
– a convenient feature for various
photometry and measurement
applications.
Working in combination with the
OSP100-DNA photometry system, the
AX70 easily handles different
measuring methods using several
fluorescent indicators. These range
from 1-wavelength excitation/
1-wavelength photometry 1Ex1Em to
2-wavelength excitation/2-wavelength
photometry 2Ex2Em . Thus, the
AX70/OSP100 combination can
measure fluorescence intensities at a
single wavelength with dual-wavelength
excitation using the fura-2 or BCECF
indicator. These advantages make it
ideal for analyzing intracellular calcium
ion concentrations and pH values.
PAF (Photoactivated Fluorescence)
The PAF technique irradiates caged compound with an ultraviolet ray, instantly transforming
them to original active substances. The induced reaction is then measured and examined.
PAF also allows control of intracellular reaction time and location.
Applications
Examining muscle contraction due to increased intracellular Ca
2+
concentrations.
Study of cytoskeleton assemblies.
Ion channel research.
Study of receptor-bonding of neural transmitters and their functions.
AX70 – the obvious choice
The AX70 incorporates a vertical illuminator with
sideways illumination capability.
The Y-shape also provides an uncluttered work surface for conveniently
positioning an injector or other ancillary equipment near the stand. An
upright microscope is required to observe internal structures of cells
(with samples usually measuring 100 - 200µm thick).
Photoactivation of caged fluorescein.
Caged fluorescein labeled tubulin had been introduced in the cell; after
exposure to UV light through a slit a photoactivated zone was generated.