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| Structured Illumination Microscopy (SR-SIM) |
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No compromises in flexibility: structured illumination microscopy can image any fluorophore, fixed or live, with up to twice the resolution possible using deconvolution or confocal microscopy. This is made possible by combining a precise spatial modulation of the excitation light with an algorithm that computes superresolution information from interference patterns in the raw data. The Carl Zeiss solution makes superresolution structured illumination available for everyone, combining intuitive operation with excellent image quality.
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| Widefield image (left) and SIM image (right) of neuronal growth cones. Staining for tubulin (red) and F-actin (green). Specimen: M. Fritz and M. Bastmeyer, University of Karlsruhe, Germany. |
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Superresolution structured illumination microscopy brings you up to double the resolution in all dimensions – without compromising on dyes, without special sample treatment. Rely on state-of-the-art algorithms to reconstruct a superresolution image in 3D.
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| Moiré patterns formed by superimposed grids. |
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Look at the two overlapping grids in the above image, tilted at 5 degrees against each other, and you will notice a real and visible pattern of approximately perpendicular dark and light bands superimposed on the parallel lines. What you are experiencing is a phenomenon called Moiré fringes, originating from the interaction of the optical patterns of lines. The fringes contain superresolution information that otherwise escapes detection.
This is exactly the principle that is used in SR-SIM. A known pattern is projected into the image plane and interferes with sample structures, creating Moiré fringes. Superresolution information can now be captured by the microscope from these structures. All that remains to be done is to restore this information into a superresolution image by high-end algorithms.
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