Live cell imaging, the microscopic examination of living cells at the highest level, is currently the focus of cell research. As a rule, immortalised cell lines or stem cells in culture dishes are used for this purpose. The approaches taken often differ considerably. However, the cell is simultaneously seen as an autonomous unit and as a mirror of the processes taking place in the overall organism.
precision is of the essence, particularly for long-time experiments.
Temperature repeatability is enabled by a thermal sensor that can be placed directly in the culture dish. This provides the actual temperature at the site of observation. Assumptions and difficult-tointerpret data are therefore a thing of the past. Thermally insulated objective lenses are additionally available for the Axio Observer. This interrupts the temperature flow into the nosepiece, ensuring that the target temperature is indeed achieved. The pH value is also of interest. This is regulated via the CO 2 concentration on the basis of a buffer system. However, the O 2 concentration must also be taken into account, as cells react sensitively to changed values.
The system is adapted to the exacting demands that must be met for regulating these parameters. The regulation of the incubation conditions is fully automated. Its performance is further enhanced by an intelligent stack and upgrade concept for the regulating modules. This overall concept for cell observation is unique and also provides also the acquisition of all incubation data.