Speaker: Dr. Christoph Graf vom Hagen

A lot has happened since Wilhelm Röntgen discovered an unknown radiation in 1895 that could pass through objects such as human tissue and leave a shadow on a fluorescent screen. Not knowing what kind of radiation it was, he called it X-ray. X-ray imaging became the bedrock of today’s medical imaging, from simple 2D prints on film to sophisticated 3D CT scans. The application of X-ray imaging in the non-medical world is, however, less well known.

In this talk, we will discuss the basics of X-ray imaging and computed tomography (CT) and its applications in research and production across a wide range of non-medical applications and instrumentations. A particular focus will be on the variety of use cases for X-Ray microscopes that are being developed and built in the new ZEISS Innovation Center California in Dublin. These microscopes enable researchers across the globe to perform 3D non-destructive imaging with starting resolutions of 50nm – this is about 1/1000 of the width of a human hair!

Speaker: Ralf Wolleschensky

High-resolution, sensitive 3D fluorescence imaging of living biological samples is key to unraveling the secrets of life and understanding its mechanisms and pathologies. Yet it comes with a particular challenge: the toxic effects of light associated with fast and subcellular imaging. Because of its outstanding light efficiency, lightsheet imaging is currently the method of choice for 3D fluorescence imaging of living specimens.

However, the use of this technique was previously limited, as it required special sample preparation. Such preparation lowered the applicability of lightsheet imaging in a wide range of live biomedical applications, because of the reduced field of view, throughput and incompatibility with standardized sample imaging workflows. Attempts to make lightsheet imaging at the subcellular level available to biology had been made. However, these systems were not readily accessible to standard users with biomedical backgrounds.

Fluorescence lightsheet imaging comes with the optical axes of excitation and detection paths at a 90° angle to each other. When attempting to image through a cover glass – the standard interface for many biological samples prepared for microscopic investigation – both axes have to be tilted with respect to this cover glass. However, this angled imaging through a cover glass at high NA results in severe optical aberrations. To address this issue, ZEISS developed a completely new and unique imaging platform – ZEISS Lattice Lightsheet 7 – for the inverted lightsheet imaging of living specimens (cells, 3D cell cultures, organoids) on standard sample carriers and through a cover glass. With Lattice Lightsheet 7, ZEISS makes accessing the benefits of lightsheet imaging at subcellular resolution extremely simple.

The talk will discuss some of the unique technologies that ZEISS developed and highlight some of the applications of the instrument.

Speaker: Dr. Benjamin Völker

For more than 130 years, ZEISS has offered its customers a rich variety of optical consumer products. Working in the visual range of light, imaging products like camera lenses gave generations of photographers and cinematographers up through today the possibility of capturing memories and telling visual stories. Non-imaging “see-through” devices like binoculars and scopes make nature observation an immersive and exceptional experience. These classical optical systems rely on sophisticated optical designs and proven technologies like anti-reflective optical coatings that were developed by ZEISS.

The fast-moving transition of the optical consumer market into the digital age presents challenges, but also rare opportunities to improve user experience. We will show how digital techniques can help improve classical optics: in every optical system, unwanted light is generated by light reflected and scattered on optical and mechanical systems. Digital twins play a crucial role in predicting and controlling this unwanted stray light. With the help of massive raytracing in fully optomechanical simulation models, root causes can be identified and optimized. Combining this knowledge with our T* anti-reflective optical coating technology enables us to minimize stray light in our products. Beyond that, if desired we can add lens flare in a controlled and artistic fashion, which even led to the development of a new successful product line.

Furthermore, we will identify the key technologies of current and future digital optical consumer products. Whereas in the past our focus was on the bare optics, new fully digital products like our ZEISS ZX1 camera or our thermal imager ZEISS DTI 3/35 also require hardware and software competencies. Especially for thermal imaging, where LWIR light with a 8-12µm wavelength invisible to the human eye is recorded, the main challenge in getting good image quality is to develop real-time video enhancement algorithms so that thermal light information can be optimally processed for human perception on a digital ocular.

Speaker: Dr. Bettina Friedl

Light is the beginning and sets the pace of life. What would our world look like without light? How is a human being’s life and wellbeing impacted by lack of light or a severe visual impairment?

As many of us have the luxury of 20/20 vision or more, we can hardly imagine how many people are affected by limitations of their vision. Next to starvation, war, natural disasters or, nowadays, the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of vision and appropriate eye care are among the main reasons as to why people suffer from poverty.

This talk aims to raise awareness for this topic and to provide insights as to what everyone can do to protect himself/herself, family members and loved ones as well as to support people in need.

In rich or more mature countries, it is mostly of the focus, priorities and discipline of individuals to take care about their eyes and use the existing offerings and medical prevention measures. This way, diseases can be caught early on and stopped or at least contained. In poorer or developing countries, it is all about access and affordable primary care. Already with basic means, the lives of millions of people can be changed for the better

Speaker: Dr. Niranchana Manivannan

The retina can be considered a window to brain, and it allows us to directly observe and document not only eye diseases but also cardiovascular and neurological disorders. The first commercial fundus cameras were released by ZEISS in 1926. These featured a 10° retinal field of view and required manual exposure using flash powder and color film. Fundus imaging has come a long way since then. Current ultra-widefield fundus cameras capture a field of view of 90° and 135° to aid the diagnosis and monitoring of eye diseases. Additionally, artificial intelligence is being integrated into the image evaluation, clinical decision support and triaging. This talk covers the history, current developments and observed trends in fundus imaging.

Speaker: Dr. Jochen Straub

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-contact imaging method that provides cross-sectional high-resolution images and 3D volumes of the human eye using low coherence near-infrared light. ZEISS was the first company to make OCT commercially available to eye care providers over 20 years ago. Since then, performance and clinical application have been increasing exponentially and ZEISS continues to be the market leader in Ophthalmic OCT.

In this talk we will explain the physics and technology behind OCT, introduce the portfolio of ZEISS' ophthalmic OCT devices and present a series of clinical applications, including diagnostic imaging and intra-operative live imaging. We will discuss emerging technologies and cutting-edge applications ranging from high resolution structural imaging to widefield functional imaging of blood flow in the eye.

OCT is a rapidly evolving technology that has enabled eye care providers to visualize and measure structures and blood flow in the eye that have previously not been available to aid in diagnosis. In the relatively short time that OCT has been in use in ophthalmology, it has had a tremendous impact on diagnostics and treatment of potentially blinding eye diseases, ultimately improving the quality of life of patients significantly.

Speaker: Dr. Jochen Hallmann

As population growth and limited farmland have strained the capacity to produce enough food, experts have stepped up efforts to explore and refine technical solutions that improve food production, quality and safety. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy helps to deliver objective data the food and agriculture industries are using to maximize quality and efficiency.

Farmers need non-destructive, accurate, rapid, and user-friendly tools to use on the farm to give them detailed information on the physical and chemical properties of crops at every stage of their growth. They also need to monitor the maturity and quality of their products. Quality control also continues beyond the farm and is necessary for the supply chain and retailing. NIR is providing vital solutions in agriculture for these purposes. This presentation gives a general background on NIR and provides information on how NIR is specifically being used in different areas of agriculture.

Speakers: Dr. Nancy Hecker-Denschlag & Dr. Zahra Nafar