OLYMPUS has released an updated version of its Lext OLS4000 confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) software.
Compatible with 64-bit Windows 7, Lext 2.2 allows users to capture high resolution images up to ten times faster than the previous version.
The new 3D multilayer function can measure transparent layers, allowing measurement and analysis of multiple layers within a single sample. As a result, users can obtain 3D images with ease and accuracy, says Olympus.
When imaging surface roughness on the micrometre scale, high resolution is essential in order to obtain meaningful data for analysis. Lext OLS4000 facilitates non-contact measurement of surface roughness, thereby maintaining sample integrity during measurement.
The multilayer mode enables recognises the peaks of reflected light intensities on multiple layers within a sample, so users can for example observe and measure the upper surface of a transparent specimen as well as measuring the thickness of each individual layer. The shape and roughness of a layer sitting below transparent material, such as a metal surface sitting under a resin layer, can therefore be measured.
The Olympus Lext OLS4000 has a large and very fast Mems scanning mirror along with dual pinholes. The company says the larger mirror provides superior optical quality, and the increased scan speed reduces the time needed create a 3D image. The 405nm laser and dual pinholes operate simultaneously, enabling slope detection up to 85deg and ensuring that even the most complex of topographies can be imaged and analysed.