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Research and development at Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions cover numerous and different fields in the field of micro imaging. Our scientists and engineers work on hardware and software innovations and solutions that lead us to new applications. One of the main focuses of all our activities is to develop products that are more efficient, open up more business areas and reduce costs. Some of the key fields our R&D activities are looking into include:
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.jpg) Live-Cell Imaging
Microscopic investigation of living cell samples is one of the most exciting areas of research in the Life Sciences today. Live-cell imaging has become one of the key words in imaging and microscopy. This technique is of great interest to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. This is because the imaging of cells and biological molecules such as DNA change, move, develop, and interact with other cells and biological molecules can clarify many of the major questions regarding how living organisms work. The opportunities for automation presented by the latest generation of microscopes along with the advances made in the scientific image-processing software have smoothed avenues to new insight on these questions which in turn, raises new questions. New questions also serve to advance the development of investigative methods, including the microscopes and software used.
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 Cell-based screening
Images of cells provide much higher information content than the results of many established quantitative and fully automated methods in biological research. Usually imaging experiments are conducted manually with low throughput and are difficult to compare due to the technological complexity. With recent leaps in technology imaging evolved into an quantitative method that produces statistical and reproducible data. Thousands of images are acquired and analyzed automatically. Dedicated system solutions including specialized hard- and software address specifically the requirements of image based screening in biomedical research. Speed, flexibility and reliability are key features for assay development as well as for standard screening applications. Quantitative imaging focused on validated data and statistical results will be one of the most important techniques in biomedical basic and applied research covering fields like functional genomics and proteomics, drug screening, target identification and validation, cell signaling, phamaceutical and diagnostic research.
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 Digital virtual microscopy
In contrast to conventional microscopy, digital virtual microscopy is a method that offers the creation of images for the entire slide at diagnostic-level resolution. Instead of looking through the eyepieces of a microscope, a virtual slide is viewed on a display monitor. The virtual images can be viewed, panned and zoomed on a computer monitor. The virtual slides can be accessed from any location around the world via the internet, with the same convenience as a glass slide under an actual microscope. Digital virtual microscopy opens up a multitude of new opportunities in research and development or educational fields.
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 Diagnostics
The increase of the world's population, increasing average life spans and growing numbers of patients have increased the demand for fast and reliable techniques for analyzing disease patterns and diagnosing them while at the same time developing greater capacities for handling all this. Tele-microscopy offers opportunities for even greater efficiency as images and data can be transmitted between locations which may be miles apart. Tele-microscopy, for example, involves having a microscope in one place being remote-controlled from another. This makes online consultation between colleagues and other experts possible, resulting in faster and more highly-reliable diagnoses.
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 Cellular biology
Being able to make breakthroughs in the understanding of vital processes requires knowledge advances in the area of fundamentals. High-resolution images and their subsequent analysis are necessary in order to obtain cellular-biological data, as well as to be able to study physiological and pathological fundamentals. To be able to evaluate images, immunogold labeling requires high resolution and dynamics. These images provide experts with clues on communication channels within cells, for example. These requirements can be met using today's CCD cameras. Real-time functions during image acquisition guarantee optimal image quality. Without the user having to do a thing, images are acquired at the same respective conditions, are saved and if desired, immediately evaluated.
In addition, image-sequencing (time-lapse) experiments are necessary in order to be able to track and analyze dynamic processes. To be able to conduct such complex acquisition routines requires the integration of specialized software solutions. The information concerning structural changes indicated by these images provides important clues relevant to the study of physiological and pathological processes.
One of the key technologies for further investigation can be the combination of light, fluorescence and electron microscopy (correlated microscopy).
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 Materials Science and Electronics
On the materials and electronics front, microscopy has become an essential tool for surface inspection and non-destructive testing. Visual inspection is used extensively to evaluate the condition or the quality of a weld or component. There is a need for more sophisticated instrumentation and system solutions as companies develop more advanced engineering, and industrial, and electronic materials. This includes solutions such as non-destructive cylinder inspection for the automobile industry, automated systems for residue, castiron or non-metallic inclusion inspection.
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 Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has the status to be one of the prime forces advancing the next 'Industrial Revolution'. Nanotechnology not only will allow making many high-quality products at very low cost, but it will allow making new nanofactories at the same low cost and at the same high speed. This technology is still in a preliminary phase. Rapid progress is being made in various areas, however, such as optics, nanolithography, mechanochemistry and 3D prototyping. Microscopy and imaging have a significant role to play in making this a reality.
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