The government intends to award a sole source contract to Carl Zeiss Microscopy, LLC. for Zeiss LSM 880 Axio Examiner Upright Microscope. This microscope includes compatibility features required for the continuity acquisition/analysis software that will interface or is a compatible to current experiments, replication of older experiments, and provide researchers the ability to open old microscope files. Since the Zeiss LSM 880's platform that operates the software is identical to what is currently being used in the existing acquisition software macros, acquisition SOPs, and data analysis pipelines will be directly transferable. The Zeiss 880 Axio Examiner Upright Multiphoton (NLO) Confocal Microscope is required to provide Neurobiology Laboratories both continued and enhanced capabilities in electrophysiology and calcium imaging as well as new versatility in usage by adding a piezo motorized stage and specialized lenses that permit the acquisition of large detailed datasets of cleared tissue.
Specification listed below:
The Zeiss LSM 880 Axio Examiner Upright Multiphoton (NLO) Microscope must have 34 channel spectral detection, 7 laser lines (405, 458, 488, 514, 561, 594, and 633), liquid cooled GaAsP detectors and scanners, a piezo motorized electrophysiology stage, definite focus system, and specialized lenses for both electrophysiology or calcium imaging (water immersion, refractive index of 1.33) and cleared tissue (refractive index of 1.45). ZEN 2.3 system software, 64 bit PC and 32" monitor will be provided. The XY scanning stage will allow stitching of imaged to construct whole tissue sections as well as allowing imaging at multiple locations during time lapse studies. The GaAsP detectors will allow imaging of low level fluorescence currently undetectable on older generation microscopes and calcium transients. The long working distance and specialized lens will allow deep penetration of tissue up to 5mm.
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