The VivaTome for fluorescence microscopes from Carl
Zeiss is an optimal tool for developmental and cell biologists to examine
the dynamics of living specimens without extensive prior know- ledge of optical
sectioning. For the visualization of fast processes, VivaTome is an attractively-priced
solution that offers outstanding ease of use and excellent results. It is designed
for applications where temporal resolution is a priority. This system provides
clear, easy-to-interpret and quantifiable results for biological specimens-regardless
of whether it is a cell structure, a tissue section or a living organism.
Epithelial cells of a pig’s kidney (LLC-PK1), marked with Tubulin-Emerald and H2B-mCherry, photographed with the VivaTome microscope module and the 63x/1.4 Plan-APOCHROMAT objective lens from Carl Zeiss.
With a low level of technical complexity, VivaTome delivers high-quality microscope
images that have only been possible with highly advanced systems until now.
Using simple and economical white light illumination, frame rates of up to 30
frames a second are achieved. With the VivaTome, the entire spectrum of ZEISS
objective lenses can be used with a consistently high optical section quality.
VivaTome captures the widefield and the optical section data simultaneously,
ensuring that no information is lost. It can be attached to the ZEISS Axio Observer,
Axio Imager and Axio Examiner microscope systems using a simple c-mount. Existing
widefield systems are easily retrofitted.
The VivaTome is the result of the collaboration between Carl Zeiss and Aurox
Ltd. (Oxford, UK). It is based on the aperture correlation principle developed
by Tony Wilson and collaborators at the University of Oxford.