UNLV Confocal and Biological Imaging Core
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Instruments

Three systems, chosen by the sample

Three point-scanning systems with different strengths. The guide at the end of this section narrows the choice to one or two; the consultation settles it.

Multiphoton and confocal

Nikon A1R MP

Confocal and multiphoton on one scan head, with a resonant scanner for fast time-lapse and a pulsed infrared laser for deep imaging.

Best for

  • Imaging deep in thick or scattering specimens: brain slices, intact tissue, intravital preparations
  • Fast time-lapse: the resonant scanner reaches 30 frames per second at 512 × 512 pixels
  • Long live-tissue sessions where limiting excitation to the focal plane matters (see multiphoton)
  • Second-harmonic imaging of collagen and other non-centrosymmetric structures

Not ideal for

  • Thin fixed samples where enhanced-resolution modes on the other two systems give finer detail
  • Fluorophores that need an excitation line outside the installed set
  • Experiments that need lifetime (FLIM) or spectrally tunable excitation
Check fit with the guideHow multiphoton excitation works
Configuration summary
ModesPoint-scanning confocal; multiphoton excitation with non-descanned detection
Multiphoton laserFemtosecond pulsed, tunable infrared laser. The current site lists a 1300 nm line
ScannersGalvanometer scanner for high-resolution frames; resonant scanner at 30 fps (512 × 512) and up to 420 fps in band scan
FundingMultiphoton system acquired with NSF support, award DBI-1726925
Confocal with array detector

Zeiss LSM 800 with Airyscan

A compact confocal with sensitive GaAsP detectors and an Airyscan array detector that trades the single pinhole for 32 small ones, then reassigns their signals computationally.

Best for

  • Fixed cells and tissue sections labeled with standard 405 / 488 / 561 / 640 nm fluorophores
  • 3D stacks where resolution and signal-to-noise both matter
  • Enhanced resolution without changing the sample: Zeiss states 1.7× higher resolution in all three dimensions with Airyscan
  • Colocalization studies at the limit of light microscopy, after bead-based chromatic calibration

Not ideal for

  • Deep imaging in scattering tissue; the multiphoton system is the better tool beyond roughly 100 µm
  • Dyes that need excitation between the four laser lines
  • Long live-cell experiments
Check fit with the guideHow Airyscan improves resolution
Configuration summary
LasersFour solid-state lines
DetectorsGaAsP detectors ; Airyscan 32-element GaAsP array detector
Enhanced resolutionAiryscan: 1.7× in x, y, and z; "5× smaller confocal volume" . Absolute figures quoted elsewhere (about 120–140 nm lateral, 350–400 nm axial) depend on objective, wavelength, and processing
Spectral confocal

Leica Stellaris with white light laser

A spectral confocal whose white light laser can be tuned to any excitation line across the visible range, with hybrid detectors that also time each photon's arrival.

Best for

  • Multicolor experiments with overlapping spectra: tunable excitation plus adjustable spectral detection bands (see bleed-through module)
  • Live cells over hours, with stage incubation
  • Lifetime-based contrast: TauSense tools separate signals or remove autofluorescence using photon arrival times
  • Enhanced resolution with LIGHTNING adaptive deconvolution; Leica states lateral resolution "down to 120 nm"

Not ideal for

  • Deep tissue beyond the reach of single-photon excitation
  • UV-excited probes below the installed lines
Check fit with the guideSpectral overlap and bleed-through
Configuration summary
White light laserPulsed, tunable from about 485 to 790 nm; up to eight lines at once
DetectorsHybrid (HyD) detectors with spectral detection
Lifetime toolsTauSense (TauContrast, TauGating, TauSeparation)
Enhanced resolutionLIGHTNING adaptive deconvolution, "down to 120 nm" lateral
Environmental controlIncubation for live cells
Instrument guide

Which instrument fits your sample?

Four questions. Each answer adds weight to the instruments that suit it; the result shows the best match and, when it is close, a second option. The scoring follows the configurations above and the physics in the Learn section. It is a starting point for the consultation, not a booking decision.

Question 1 of 4What is the sample?
Question 2 of 4How deep do you need to image?
Question 3 of 4What matters most for the result?
Question 4 of 4Which excitation do your fluorophores need?
0 of 4 answered