Agilent Technologies Introduces High-Speed Filter Switching Light Source...

Agilent Technologies Introduces High-Speed Filter Switching Light Source for Fluorescence Microscopy

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the availability of the Polychrome 3000, an ultrafast filter-switching light source for fluorescence microscopy applications.

The Polychrome 3000 uses high-precision galvanometer-driven mirrors to direct white light to different filter positions. The setup allows changing between filters in milliseconds. A filter slider on the front of the Polychrome 3000 allows users to exchange up to five filters in a single pass. All filter positions offer equivalent brightness and homogenous illumination of the specimen. The filters used in the Polychrome 3000 are standard 25 mm diameter filters that can be up to 5 mm thick.

This instrument uses an optimized light path combined with advanced condenser technology and a stable quartz fiber light guide. This leads to the highest brightness in the specimen plane.

"We have engineered the Polychrome 3000 to provide maximum application flexibility to university and industry researchers," said Peter Thoma, business unit manager for Agilent's Light Microscopy Operations facility in Graefelfing, Germany. "This high-end light source is ideal for a wide range of fluorescence microscopy applications, including high-speed ratio imaging, GFP imaging, FRET, photometry and wide field in combination with TIRF."

This filter-switching light source is a complete solution that includes Polychrome 3000 Control Software to handle precise timing of filter selection, light exposure time, light intensity and triggering of the camera. It can be used with the Agilent iMIC 2000 Digital Microscope and with other available microscope platforms from manufacturers such as Zeiss, Leica, Olympus and Nikon.

The Polychrome 3000 is ideally suited for real-time live-cell experiments, such as high-speed ratio imaging, GFP imaging to distinguish a variety of fluorophores, FRET to detect molecular interaction, and photometry with very high time resolution.

Fluorescence Microscopy Solutions from Agilent Technologies

Agilent offers highly flexible, modular fluorescence microcopy solutions for research, industry and education. Exceptional worldwide support is provided by experienced application scientists and technical service personnel. Agilent's leading-edge R&D laboratories ensure the continued, timely introduction and optimization of innovative, easy-to-use fluorescence microscopy technologies.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world's premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company's 20,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.