Jun 11 2008
PI (Physik Instrumente) has extended its line of piezo stages for scanning microscopy applications. The P-737 Piezo Z-Focusing Stage is offered along with the stiffer, P-726 high performance microscope lens focusing system for large NA microscope objectives and the redesigned P-686 XY piezo motor positioning stage providing long travel ranges to 25x25 mm.
P-737 piezo Z-stage with well plate, a PIFOC® lens positioner and M-686 fast XY microscopy stage
The M-686 XY coarse-positioning, stage can also accommodate an XY / Z nanopositioning scanning piezo stage to provide the resolution required in single molecule or near field microscopy. Its ultrasonic piezo motors are self-locking and hold a position precisely even when powered down.
The P-726 microscopy objective nanopositioning device provides significantly higher stiffness than other microscope focusing devices due to larger cross section piezo ceramics and a redesigned flexure guiding system. Due to the high stiffness, the system can respond and settle faster to provide the highest possible throughput in focusing and imaging applications.
The P-737 specimen Z-stage was specifically designed for biotech research microscopes utilizing deconvolution and 3D imaging techniques, It features up to 500 µm travel, millisecond responsiveness and nanometer precise motion under closed-loop control
Application Examples
3D imaging, Z-stack acquisition, autofocusing, scanning and alignment tasks in microscopy, biotechnology.
Piezo Z-Stages and Objective Steppers
The P-737 PIFOC stage complements the PIFOC® high-speed piezo objective Z-steppers. While no sample stage can move faster than the latest generation of PIFOC® objective positioners (due to the stiffer, more compact design), the P-737 PIFOC® stage allows for millisecond sample settling enabling convenient Z-stack imaging with multiple objectives and very high throughput.
Piezo Z-Stages vs. Conventional Stepper Motor Focus Drives
The fast response of the P-737 fully utilizes the high throughput of the latest digital imaging systems and achieves several 10 times faster response than conventional stepper motor focus drives and don’t exhibit wear and tear.
The P-737 PIFOC® stage is available with a number of analog and highly sophisticated digital piezo controllers and can be controlled through digital interfaces as well as by fast analog signals through a high-speed 0-10V input. The system is fully compatible with all leading imaging acquisition packages. For ease of integration, a comprehensive set of LabView drivers is included, even with the analog control option.
Features & Advantages
- Choice of Travel Ranges: 100 µm or 250 µm standard, 500 µm on request
- Choice of Controllers: Digital, Analog w/ Display or Compact Controller
- Custom Tuning for Highest Speed (few Milliseconds per Step)
- Compatible w/ all Major Image Acquisition Packages
- Closed-Loop for Nanometer Precise Motion Control