Fast Piezo Focusing Systems enhance microscopy applications.
Press Release Summary:
Designed to enhance fast focusing and lens positioning as well as deconvolution/3D imaging, PIFOC® piezo objective scanner system packages consist of closed-loop piezomechanic objective positioners and digital servo controller/driver units. Features include choice of 100, 250, 400 µm travel ranges; sub-nm resolution; and choice of piezoresistive or capacitive position feedback sensors. Included software facilitates setup and allows switching of different sets of parameters on-the-fly.
Original Press Release:
Fast Piezo Focusing Systems for Microscopy Introduced at BIOS: Digital and More Affordable
San Francisco, CA -- Piezo systems specialist PI introduces a new, more affordable series of Fast Piezo Focusing devices at the 2011 BIOS (Biomedical Optics) meeting, the world's largest and most prestigious international biomedical optics and imaging conference, held in conjunction with SPIE's Photonics West.
The new PIFOC® system packages are designed to improve results in fast focusing & lens positioning as well as in deconvolution / 3D imaging, and to reduce costs at the same time.
Features & Advantages
Piezoresistive (lower cost); Capacitive (higher precision)
Application Examples: Fast Autofocus Systems, Microscopy, 3D Imaging, Screening, Surface analysis, Wafer inspection
Datasheets & More Information on Piezo Systems for Microscopy at: http://www.physikinstrumente.com/en/news/fullnews.php?newsid=170
The PIFOC® piezo objective scanner system packages consist of closed-loop piezomechanic objective positioners and custom-tuned compact ditigal servo controller / driver units. This combination provides higher performance at reduced costs. The integrated, frictionless and high-stiffness piezo flexure drive ensures fast response and short settling times, as well as exceptional guiding accuracy. The settling time of less than 10 ms increases throughput and allows for rapid Z-stack acquisition.
Digital Controller: more Flexibility, Precision, Automation Functions
The digital controller provides several advantages compared to the conventional analog controllers of the fast focussing systems currently available: higher linearity, improved settling performance, quick adaptation to changing motion requirements and access to advanced automation features.
Software, Support, Compatibility with Leading Image Acquisition Programs
The included software facilitates system setup and allows switching of different sets of parameters on-the-fly. For the user this means extracting the maximum performance from the piezo focusing mechanism all the time, no matter what size objective is used or whether aggressive long-travel stepping or smooth nanometer size dithering motion is needed. Since jumpers and trim pots no longer have to be accessed to make changes, system integration becomes much more straightforward.
System setup with the included user-interface software is fast and easy; interfacing to the customers' software is facilitated with the included LabVIEW drivers and DLLs. Drivers for leading image acquisition software packages such as MetaMorph and µManager are available.
