Confocal scanning laser microscopy is used to produce images in two and three dimensions of a translucent sample.
The equipment available is a Leica TCS SP2
The system carries out rapid, non-destructive, optical serial sectioning to 0.2µm resolution in all planes
There are five separate lasers with diffusion gate to specify exact frequencies.
Multi-line detector
The system requires minimal sample preparation, and the sample is mounted on a reverse microscope stage with magnifications of x2 to x100.
The system is fully computer-controlled.
Positive and negative, reflected and transmitted light images are stored digitally for further processing, allowing for 3-D reconstruction of the sample.
Applications include:
3-D imaging of pore spaces and inclusions in geological and gemmological samples
3-D imaging of pore spaces in construction materials
3-D imaging of biological materials
