Fluorescence microscopy is an extremely demanding application for LED illumination, in terms of irradiance, homogeneity, spectral spread and control. The light must be intense enough across the spectrum to excite a variety of fluorescent labels, and homogenous across the field of view to achieve precise information from across the sample. Moreover, tight control must capture dynamic events happening within biological materials.
While many off-the-shelf microscope illuminators are available to suit a range of applications, something out of the ordinary is sometimes required in order to deliver the best results. This is because custom configurations often come with their own set of unique challenges, such as thermal management. Manufacturers wishing to gain a competitive advantage with their product can therefore benefit greatly from working with world-class microscope illumination experts.
About CoolLED
CoolLED designs and manufactures cutting edge LED Illumination Systems for microscopy, having emerged from a collaboration between Custom Interconnect Limited (CIL) and the University of Southampton. Our fast-growing company of microscope illumination experts is based in Hampshire, UK, and we provide world-class technical expertise spanning optical engineering and the life sciences. Perhaps most importantly, this expertise is backed by world-renowned customer support. Since our team of four introduced the first commercially available LED illuminator in 2006, we have led the way in transforming light source technology. We continue to lead the industry, whether that is boosting contrast and minimising phototoxicity or capturing high-speed events in more detail than ever before. Our mission is to support scientists in making breakthrough discoveries with both off-the-shelf Illumination Systems and custom OEM configurations.
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Minimum Risk, Maximum Innovation with Microscopy Illumination Experts
Since launching the world’s first LED light source for fluorescence microscopy, CoolLED has expanded its expertise. We now offer a diverse range of Illumination Systems to suit the most popular requirements in terms of channels, control options and more. But we also realised early on that some customers have unique requirements, which is why we enabled this LED technology to be accessed in customised configurations with the Amora platform.
The Amora Series is the best of both worlds for those looking for a custom configuration. The platform takes the strengths of our popular off-the-shelf products and offers the flexibility to choose anywhere between two and twelve LED channels. Additionally, a menu of features around control, spectral coverage and connectivity (see Our Technology) matches a solution to the customer’s requirements.
By partnering with our microscopy illumination experts and harnessing the Amora platform, this reduces timescales and risk while allowing an incredible level of customisation. For those requiring an especially unique solution for a custom microscope build, there is capacity for further innovation and the CoolLED microscopy illumination experts love a challenge!
“We’ve taken the conscious decision not to restrict the innovation process by blindly conforming to historic solutions.”
Luther Hindley, CoolLED Mechanical Design Engineer
“We work very closely with our OEMs to give them just what they need so they can stop worrying about the light source as part of the overall system”
Gerry Whoriskey, CoolLED Technical Director
Why Work With Microscopy Illumination Experts?
CoolLED is ideally placed to deliver OEM illumination requirements for many reasons, including:
Low risk – Streamlined development using proven off-the-shelf technology with the Amora platform.
Support – Full support from working side by side with our friendly and professional team of microscopy illumination experts, effortlessly guiding you throughout the whole process from start to finish.
Fast production speed – Focusing on selected features allows us to create a prototype on much tighter timescales.
Reliability – CoolLED products are famous worldwide for their reliability and have had many years to prove it. They are also backed by CoolLED’s world-renowned support and a market-leading 36-month warranty.
Confidence – Having been trusted by countless organisations across the globe (and even beyond, on the International Space Station!) since 2006, you can have confidence that your illumination system will match performance with reliability.
Visit Working With Us for more information about what to expect during this partnership.
Microscope Illumination Experts are Always Innovating
Innovative LED illumination technology offers many benefits for microscopy, but CoolLED’S microscopy illumination experts have also been busy working on transferring this technology into new industries. Moving beyond microscopy, a successful example of how expertise in fluorescence microscopy is advancing new applications is machine vision, where the use of LEDs as an alternative to halogen is a relatively new concept. In addition to improved performance, there are also cost and environmental benefits to replacing inefficient and heat-producing halogen lamps. As halogen illumination in the consumer sector is being phased out by governments, it is only a matter of time before commercial applications follow suit.
“The beam shape is customisable, the working distance and focus are customisable and the irradiance and homogeneity can be optimised to suit the user’s requirements – but this doesn’t have to be limited to fluorescence microscopy, it can be applied to any optical field.”
Alex Gramann, CoolLED Optical Design Engineer.
If you’re interested in working with CoolLED microscopy illumination experts to enhance your system build, please contact us at [email protected] for more information.
High-performance LED illumination is benefiting a range of applications, including machine vision. Luther Hindley, one of CoolLED’s Microscope Illumination Experts, here demonstrates the prototype line illuminator using LEDs at VISION, Stuttgart.
Working closely with academia is important to our microscope illumination experts, and together with Medical Research Scotland, we sponsored Mollie McFarlane, PhD student at the University of Strathclyde in Professor Gail McConnell’s research group. CoolLED’s Core Technology Team have been providing support throughout the project, and are here shown celebrating Mollie’s poster which she presented at CoolLED.
