Olympus now offers researchers the ability to incorporate Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) microscopy into their research with a new CARS attachment for the company’s FluoView FV1000-MPE multiphoton system. The unit is designed to work with the lasers that come with the multiphoton system; users do not need to purchase an additional femtosecond or picosecond laser for CARS microscopy.
CARS microscopy uses lasers to produce microscope images based upon molecular vibrations. It has many advantages, particularly when used in conjunction with other imaging modalities. CARS offers excellent 3D resolution, chemical selectivity and the ability to image without fluorescent labeling. In addition, it uses long wavelengths of light, helping minimize photodamage to cells. Its ability to probe lipids makes CARS microscopy a useful tool for the study of myelin sheath (for research relating to MS and other diseases), the impact of obesity on cancer and cardiovascular disease, membrane organization, 3D cell morphology, intracellular lipid bodies, drug delivery formulations, skin/cosmetics and more. The use of longer wavelengths helps CARS pair well with multiphoton microscopy, a powerful technique for imaging deep within tissue that also employs long-wavelength lasers.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
