TOOLS & TECHNIQUES UPDATE

Camera with photo plate resolutionThe Morada from Soft Imaging System is a new

11 megapixel side-mounted CCD camera for

transmission electron microscopes (TEMs). Suitable

for materials science and biomedical applications, the

camera fits the wide-angle port of most TEMs. It can

also be integrated with Soft Imaging System’s new

image analysis platform, iTEM.

The camera system consists of a lens-coupled

phosphorus screen, a high-quality lens for projecting

the image onto the CCD sensor, and an ultraprecise

mechanical positioning system. With 11 megapixels

and a pixel size of 9 µm, Morada offers a field of view

that is twice the area of a photo plate. It also provides

the same level of detail as a photo plate for the same

size field of view. The camera has a dynamic range of

14 bits. Exposure times from less than 1 ms to 60 s

ensure the best images are acquired under different

current conditions, and various binning modes are

supported to increase sensitivity further.

The Morada camera has a maximum pixel clock rate

of 24 MHz to allow read-out rates of up to ten

frames per second in partial read-out mode. Users

can then search specimens quickly and conveniently.

For image acquisition, the camera switches to a 12

MHz mode to reduce noise. Images are transferred to

a computer via FireWire™ technology.

Contact: www.soft-imaging.net

Ultrasmall positioning stageattocube systems has launched the smallest

piezoelectric inertial positioner. The ANPx50 is just

15 mm x 15 mm x 10.2 mm in size and enables

ultraprecise alignment over a range of several

millimeters. Digital control and high lateral and

vertical stability permit atomic resolution in

scanning microscopy applications.

The Ti translation stage is compatible with ultralow

temperature (10 mK), high magnetic field (>28 T)

and ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Stages can also be

stacked to provide three-dimensional positioning

with a travel range of 4 mm x 4 mm x 3 mm for an

overall size of 15 mm x 15 mm x 35 mm.

Contact: www.attocube.com

Piecing a picture together

The MosaiX module, now available for Carl Zeiss’

AxioVision 4.2 imaging software for light

microscopes, automatically records, analyzes, and

archives digital images and image series. The

software controls the digital camera and motorized

stage to save time and effort in acquiring high-

resolution, multidimensional images. It is ideal for

many applications in materials analysis, quality

inspection, mineralogy, and forensic science.

MosaiX can be used to take a series of images of an

area automatically and combine the individual frames

to form a single image of an entire surface or large

object. The motorized stage allows precise

positioning the object during the recording sequence

and a correlation algorithm is used to form the

combined image. The pixel accuracy of the individual

images is retained.

Panorama is an alternative software module that

allows manual capture of individual frames before

automatically combining the frames to give a single

overview image.

Both the MosaiX and Panorama modules can be

combined with the multidimensional image recording

modules that are part of the AxioVision 4.2 software.

The Zeiss ZVI image format enables all relevant data

to be stored in a single file. Alternatively, choosing

another image format, such as jpg, bmp, or tif, does

not lose any information about the image or

positioning.

Contact: www.zeiss.com

January 200552

Pushing up repetition rate

High Q Laser has increased the

repetition rate of its picoREGEN™

series of picosecond regenerative

amplifier systems to 500 kHz. The

laser instruments are ideal for a

wide range of applications in

materials processing, such as micro-

and nano-machining. The

picoREGEN systems consist of a

seed laser module, a regenerative

amplifier module, and other

optional modules, such as post-

amplifier, frequency conversion,

and pulse picking, on a thermally

stabilized base platform. The

compact systems offer pulse

energies up to 3 mJ at pulse

durations of 10 ps, and have high

spatial and temporal stability.

Contact: www.highqlaser.at

High-precision mirror actuator

The MTA2HP two-axis tip/tilt

mirror actuator from Mad City Labs

has a resolution and repeatability

better than 0.02 µrad. It can be

used to scan an area rapidly with a

laser beam and then hold the beam

at specific points for long periods of

time. High-resolution position

sensors are integrated into each

axis and a closed loop feedback

system eliminates errors associated

with creep and hysteresis. The

MTA2HP accepts 1” optics and

comes in two standard ranges of

motion, 2 mrad x 2 mrad and

5 mrad x 5 mrad.

Contact: www.madcitylabs.com

Paper trail

Elsevier has launched Scopus, an

abstract and indexing database that

links directly to published literature

and science information on the

web. Covering 14 000 scientific

publications from over 4000

publishers, and going back over

40 years, this is the largest

collection of abstracts online.

Scopus also simultaneously

searches the web using the science-

only search engine, Scirus. The user

interface offers intuitive search and

browse tools. Users can link to full-

text articles for which they have

entitlements in one click. Scopus is

available for trial and sale to

institutions.

Contact: www.scopus.com

An overview image of a ceramic cog wheel built from 2014 singleimages.