Light-field Microscope

Explore ZEISS LSM with Lightfield 4D

With the launch of the new generation of ZEISS confocal laser scanning microscopes, we are proud to provide you with our latest innovation in high-speed imaging of living organisms: ZEISS Lightfield 4D.

Lightfield 4D expands your confocal with the ability to capture complete volumes – instantly, with a single snap. Capture the fastest movements within whole organisms at up to 80 volumes per second.

Start your experiments immediately without the need to adjust sample preparation.

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Capture up to

80 Volumes / Second

and unravel the fastest movements within whole organisms.

One Snap. One Volume.

Capture spatial signals and fast dynamics without compromise

Life moves. Many neuronal and physiological processes occur at very high speeds, making it difficult to accurately capture their spatiotemporal dynamics. Although established technologies have become faster, the required acquisition time still increases with sample volume, so fast processes like neuronal activity or heartbeats require a trade-off between volumetric information and image frame rate.

With Lightfield 4D, you no longer have to compromise, as you can capture 80 volumes per second without time delay in 3D. This makes it possible to follow neuronal activity in zebrafish brains, track tissue movement in developing Drosophila embryos, and keep track of moving structures in crawling C. elegans larvae. The unique one-snap-one-volume imaging ensures that crucial events are not missed or distorted.

_{The video shows a zebrafish heart. Courtesy of Stone Elworthy and Emily Noël, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK. Data acquired at Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility in the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield.}

Minimum Light Exposure. Maximum Information Gain.

Observe entire organisms over extended periods of time

Collecting 3D information of living samples has always been a challenge, especially for large sample volumes. Optical sectioning requires sequential acquisition of single images to create a Z-stack. Each slice requires light exposure, which is not fully limited to the plane of illumination and can easily add up to harmful amounts across the volume.

Lightfield 4D works differently: A complete Z-stack is acquired with a single illumination event, reducing light exposure and phototoxic effects to a minimum. Living samples can be imaged over long periods of time at high temporal density.

This combination of outstanding 3D imaging speed and extreme gentleness allows you to follow the sample in multicolor over time without influencing the recorded living activity. You can observe developmental processes, cell migration, vesicle movement or other changes in tissues and organisms that take hours or even days to complete, and still achieve the temporal resolution needed to understand the dynamics.

_{The video shows a developing zebrafish ear. Courtesy of Tanya Whitfield, Sarah Baxendale, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, UK. Data acquired at the Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility, University of Sheffield.}

Fast Acquisition. Increased Throughput.

Accelerate the collection of information on large samples with multiple labels

Typically, acquisition time of large volumes is the critical factor that limits the throughput of imaging. Acquiring a large volume with a single image snap speeds up your experiments by multitudes. The unmatched speed with which Lightfield 4D captures multi-color volumes can be used to increase the productivity of experiments in a variety of ways: Image and analyze more samples than ever before in every session, immediately improving experimental statistics.

Compare multiple different sample cohorts of wild type and genetically modified phenotypes, or samples with different drug treatments. Instead of hours, only minutes are spent collecting the data you need, leaving you more time for advanced analysis and investigation of your datasets.

_{The video shows a cleared spheroid of a co-culture of HCT-116-GFP (colon cancer) / NIH-3T3-RFP (fibroblasts) cells stained with Hoechst for nuclei. Imaged in an InSphero Akura plate. Dataset was segmented using arivis Pro. Sample courtesy of InSphero AG. Schlieren, Switzerland.}

Built for New Discoveries

Key features of ZEISS LSM Lightfield 4D at a glance

Capture Spatial Signals & Fast Dynamics

Capture the fastest movements within whole organisms at up to 80 volumes per second – with all spatiotemporal information intact. The unique one-snap-one-volume imaging ensures that crucial events are not missed or distorted.
Gently Observe Organisms Over Time

A complete Z-stack is acquired with a single illumination event, reducing light exposure and phototoxic effects to a minimum. Living samples can be imaged over long periods of time at high temporal density.
Speed Up Acquisition & Throughput

The unmatched speed with which Lightfield 4D captures multi-color volumes can be used to increase the productivity of experiments. Image and analyze more samples than ever before in every session or compare multiple different sample cohorts.
Combine Light-Field with Confocal Imaging

Take your experiments to the next level by pairing the flexibility of LSM (e.g., super-resolution and spectral imaging, optical sectioning of large samples, measurements of molecular dynamics) with the gentle and instant volume imaging of Lightfield 4D.

^{Image 4: Calcium signaling in the zebrafish brain. Courtesy of Anton Nikolaev, University of Sheffield, UK. Data acquired at Wolfson Light Microscopy Facility in the School of Biosciences at the University of Sheffield.}

FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions here

Light field microscopy captures volumetric data of living specimens without the need for focus or sample movement. It enables instant volumetric imaging in a single shot and avoids any time delay within an imaged volume. This enables the imaging of dynamic processes in/of large volumes with extremely high temporal resolution while minimizing the exposure of the living sample to light.
Its ability to provide volumetric data at high speed while preventing delicate samples from phototoxic effects makes ZEISS Lightfield 4D a powerful tool for studying the dynamics of complex biological systems in 3D over time:

Neuroscience: real-time imaging of neural activity in 3D across large volumes, such as tracking calcium signals in neurons within living brains
Developmental Biology: observation of fast cellular processes in organs and entire organisms, like blood flow and heartbeat; as well as gentle long-term imaging of developmental processes, including cell migration
Cancer Research: High-throughput multi-position 3D imaging of organoids and spheroids
Plant Science: imaging and tracking of cellular and protein movement within large volumes
Imaging with Lightfield 4D on a ZEISS LSM is as simple as widefield imaging and takes place in the familiar ZEN environment. The specific challenge for microscope users to orient themselves in the three-dimensionality of their sample is addressed with the Volume Definition representation, a highly intuitive user interface that allows to quickly and reliably define the volume to be imaged.
Sample treatment and preparation is the same as for any other fluorescent imaging with an inverted microscope.
Yes, Lightfield 4D detection uses a camera.
Lightfield 4D uses standard widefield fluorescence excitation with ZEISS solid state light sources.
Yes, you can acquire multiple color channels in a single experiment. Dual-color imaging is possible with up to 40 volumes per second. The excitation range is 385-740 nm.
The reconstructed volume (x,y,z) depends on the objective lens used. There are numerous standard objective lenses to choose from. An overview of recommended lenses, their specifications and the reconstructed volume can be found in the Lightfield 4D flyer or in the product information brochures of LSM 990 and LSM 910.
The maximal resolution is 2.2 x 2.2 x 2.8 µm³ (x,y,z) and can be achieved with a 40x objective. Further information can be found in the Lightfield 4D brochure or in the product information brochures of LSM 990 and LSM 910.
The image processing time per volume depends on the objective lens used and therefore on the volume size and the processing settings. In most cases, it takes only 40-60 seconds to process 100 volumes.
Yes, these two imaging modes complement each other and can be combined in a single experiment – e.g., to image at different temporal or spatial resolutions, or to perform photomanipulation experiments with the LSM (e.g. photoconversion) before imaging at low phototoxicity with Lightfield 4D.

Do you have further questions?

Get in contact with a ZEISS imaging specialist via the form below, we look forward to your message!

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Get a detailed look at ZEISS LSM Lightfield 4D

Keeping pace with the pulse of life

ZEISS LSM Lightfield 4D

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