General requirements 1. The system must include an inverted optical microscope that is integrated with a Laser Scanning Confocal microscope. 2. The system must include a wide-field fluorescent optical microscope that is integrated with a Laser Scanning Confocal microscope 3. The system must be capable of producing Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopic images from samples immersed in liquids or in air. 4. The system must provide ways to introduce 10 nanosecond pulses of 25 mJ or larger at 532 nm, into the sample through the scanner and objectives without damaging the optics. 5. The system must provide ways to direct the emitted or reflected light from the sample into two or more detectors simultaneously, such as solid-state detectors, cameras, Photomultiplier Tubes (PMT), or etc., through free space optics or fiber optic cables. 6. The system must allow users to switch lasers for the confocal microscopy. 7. The system must allow long working distance objectives. Some examples of the specifications of objectives can be found in the following page. 8. The system must have several independent imaging capabilities such as inverted microscopy, widefield fluorescent microscopy, confocal microscopy with the capability to integrate multiphoton microscopy. Inverted Microscope, Stage, and Observations The Inverted Optical Microscope should provide visual images of samples in liquid or in air directly to the eyes of observer and cameras in real time. The microscope must be able to store the images in digitized formats into the computer for the whole system. The image resolution should be one micrometer or better or diffraction limited. This inverted optical microscope must include the following: 1. A frame that supports a sample stage for observations of objects in liquid or in air. The state must allow other components listed below into the frame. The frame should come with a motorized three position base port selector. 2. The frame must allow a structure that can split the light from a sample into two or more beams for detectors such as Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs), cameras, etc. 3. Five (5) position Objective Nose piece – can be manual or motorized to select an objective. 4. An objective base with a light path selector. 5. Trinocular with 10x eyepieces, upright imaging with IR filter 6. An Observation Port 7. XY Scanning Stage using brushless motors. The motorized sample stage should allow users to control the position of stage via a computer 8. Camera Tube with C-mount 9. Side Port Adapter with C-mount 10. Compact sCMOS camera with USB 3.0 connection, pixel size larger than 2.1 Megapixel, either monochrome or color 11. Slide Petri Disch Adapter 12. 2-Axis Microscopy Joystick Console 13. First Reflector including a Protected Silver Mirror Objectives The system must include an objective turret that allows five or more objectives. The system must include the following objectives: 1. 20X Plan Apochromatic Objectives – NA=0.40; light transmission of 60% or higher for the wavelength range from 400 nm to 1,400 nm; Working Distance equal to or longer than 20.0 mm 2. 50X Plan Apochromatic Objectives – NA=0.42; light transmission of 60% or higher for the wavelength range from 400 nm to 1,400 nm, Working Distance equal to or longer than 17.0 mm 3. 100X Plan Apochromatic Objectives – NA=0.70; light transmission of 80% or bigger for the wavelength range from 436 nm to 656 nm, Working Distance equal to or longer than 6.0 mm 4. Any associated accessories and software related with the laser for the acquisition of sub-micrometer scale imaging of samples immersed in liquid or in air through the confocal microscopy
