3D Imaging to Depth of 5.6 mm in Brain Tissue

Carl Zeiss MicroImaging has announced the availability of the completely redesigned plan-apochromatic 20x/1.0 VIS-IR objective lens. This lens makes it possible to acquire 3D images of nerve cells down to depths of 5.6 mm in intact tissue using a confocal laser scanning or multiphoton microscope, without having to section the brain. This permits the three-dimensional visualization of the branches of individual nerve cells and the imaging of their connections. In untreated tissue, the penetration depth now achievable is five to ten times more than that of a multiphoton microscope featuring traditional optics.