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ROCK IMAGER User's Guide | Chapter 5: Components
Motorized Condenser
The motorized condenser provides high-contrast images with no
sample heating to assist with drop location.
SHG Objective
Optional compound zoom available. The high NA objective is used to
focus the laser to very small.
Stage
The SONICC stage provides precise plate manipulation to within 5
microns. The stage is then be rigidly held in place so vibration does not
interfere with image quality.
Barcode Scanner
The barcode scanner identifies plates loaded into SONICC by reading
the barcode label and interpreting the label's information.
PMT (Photo Multiplier
Tube)
The Photo Multiplier Tube (PMT) is an extremely sensitive detector of
light and is used as the light detector in SONICC. Photons of light
generated from the sample are funneled to the PMT creating a
cascading electric response that multiplies the signal as many as 100
million times. The PMT response is then mapped to a pixel in an image
based on the time that it was acquired to create the SONICC image.
The PMT has been upgraded in SONICC instruments manufactured
since January 2018 to have 5x greater sensitivity than previous models,
for dramatically increased image quality. Users with SONICC
instruments manufactured prior to January 2018 who are interested in
upgrading their PMT can contact
to request a
quote.
SHG Collection Optics
The transmission collection optics collect SHG signal while the
epi/backwards collection optics collect UV-TPEF signal. Each path is
optimized to only collect the wavelength of interest while minimizing all
other signals to create high S/N images.
