The Hydra - A New Revolution in Bio-Atomic Force Microscopy (BioAFM) by Nanonics Imaging

Topic List

Background
The Nanonics Hydra^TM
Flexibility of The Nanonics Hydra Permits New Directions in SPM Imaging

Background

Nanonics Imaging is the premier innovator of AFM and NSOM systems in the SPM market. Since its inception in 1997 and throughout the last ten years Nanonics have introduced to the SPM market new concepts in system functionality which in turn have supported the pursuit of new areas of scientific application. Nanonics contributions span from our revolutionary approach to NSOM imaging with cantilevered NSOM probes, to our introduction of dual tip/sample scanning AFM systems; and from our introduction of the first ever NSOM/AFM cryogenic systems to the first ever, Raman/AFM, Multiprobe AFM and SEM/AFM systems.

The Nanonics Hydra

The Hydra^TM achieves a set of milestones in biological imaging by being the first BioSPM to merge the nanomechanical resolution abilities of SPM with the nano optical capabilities of near-field optics. This is done in a way so that this synergistic combination can be applied to living systems.

This is accomplished with an innovation that permits for the first time using the great advantage of normal force tuning fork feedback to live cell near-field optical bioimaging in physiological media.

The Hydra^TM with its non-optically interfering tuning fork feedback allows for full integration with all forms of far-field optical imaging. This includes upright and dual 4 Pi non-linear optical microcopies even with water immersion lenses.

Hydra, a multiprobe Bio-SPM

Flexibility of The Nanonics Hydra Permits New Directions in SPM Imaging

Furthermore the system permits the unprecedented application of multiple SPM probes in simultaneous but independent feedback for extending pump probe optical measurements to the nanometer scale. Multiple functional probes with exposed tips also allow for previously unachievable simultaneous protocols of nanomechanical manipulation.

Though nearly 85% of bio-reactions occur at the cell membrane the selective nano-optical imaging of living membranes in physiological media in living systems is either extremely difficult or impossible. This stems from the fact that nearly all optical methods except for the innovation of near-field optics suffers from out-of-focus light. Even if cellular membranes are selectively labeled for imaging, living cells continually internalize such labels that are then exposed to the out-of-focus light of far-field imaging methods.

However, even though near-field optics has a unique ability to confine light in X, Y and Z it has been impossible to apply this nanoptical technique to living cell membranes in the past. This is because the probes that could produce such nanoptical points of light have large force constants that are not compatible with ultrasoft biological materials.

The Hydra^TM approaches the problem with an out-of-the focus solution that replaces the ultrasoft silicon cantilevers with ultrahard tuning forks. In fact it has been known for some time that tuning forks with such ultrahard cantilevers are ultrasensitive when used in normal force feedback. They provide an extremely soft touch without any jump to contact or "ringing" that the generally employed soft silicon cantilevers suffer from. The Hydra^TM complexes such tuning forks to hard near-field optical cantilevers. The addition of a specialized coating allows for this combination to be completely immersed in physiological media. For the first time the acknowledged superiority of tuning fork feedback can be applied to ultrasoft living biological media.

With this breakthrough ultrasensitive, non-optically interfering, high Q factor frequency modulation feedback, previously limited to air, can now be applied to live biological nanoimaging combined with nanomechanics and force spectroscopy. Furthermore this is complexed to previously unavailable multiple probes. Finally this never before achieved set of innovations is fully integrated into all forms of linear and non-linear far-field optics providing new horizons into bio-nanoimaging correlated with nanostructure and nanomechanics.

Source: Nanonics Imaging Ltd.

For more information on this source please visit Nanonics Imaging Ltd.