ANNEX
LSM 710 and LSM 780
Carl Zeiss
The Use of the Piezo Fine Focusing Stage
Systems
18 M60-1-0025
e
02/2010
Fine focusing is performed mechanically via an inclined position of the stage tongue. Therefore, the lifting
range Z at the location of the image field depends on the position of the piezo stage in relation to the
optical axis. This means: if the user shifts the object on the microscope stage to the right via the piezo
stage, the lift will be different from the one in the zero position of the stage (max. 250 µm) and also from
the one after a shift of the stage to the left.
If the LSM system is equipped with a motorized scanning stage, this shift is read back to
∆
x and the lift is
calibrated automatically if the zero position of the piezo stage has been matched to the zero position of
the scanning stage via an initialization run. For this, activate the
Stage
button of the
Acquire
toolbar.
Then position the scanning stage in such a way that the optical axis of the microscope corresponds to the
zero position of the piezo stage, i.e. to the center of the specimen holder in the stage tongue. Then
perform initialization by pressing the
piezo Null
button. This step must be repeated after every new start
of the system. Also see the notes on the operation of the motorized scanning stages.
If the system is equipped with a manual microscope stage, the user has the option of performing the
calibration by entering the
∆
x shift in mm via the
Calibration
slider.
The shift is read off from the microscope stages. In the case of the manual Axio Imager stage,
∆
x can be
read directly from the scale adhered to the front of the stage. In the case of the manual Axio Observer.Z1
stage, a scale is located on the right of the knob, where the 45 mm
∆
x shift relative to the zero position
of the microscope stage can be read off. The
∆
x value is positive for both stages if shift from the zero
position is made to the right and negative if the shift is made to the left.
On account of the inclined position of the stage tongue, the object is also shifted laterally during the fine
focusing motion. This lateral shift is negligibly small if, as recommended by us, specimen carriers with
thickness 1.0 mm are used exclusively. Otherwise, the marked lateral shift of the object during fine
focusing can result in image distortion. For the same reason, Petri dishes without fixation ring must be
used exclusively.
The nosepiece of the Axio Observer.Z1 stand is moved to the load position prior to switching off the
LSM system and the piezo stage is then moved to the lowest position to avoid damage of the objective or
object by a possible collision. The user must refocus after start-up of the system. Before an objective
change in the Axio Observer.Z1 or the Axio Imager.Z2 the nosepiece and the microscope stage must be
moved to the load position by the user, and then back to the work position to prevent the objectives
from hitting the piezo components. This is performed automatically if the objectives are changed menu-
controlled via the relevant buttons of the ZEN program.