Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy: There is More to See
Dr. Rolf T. Borlinghaus, Leica Microsystems GmbH
Conventional fluorescence images show the spatial distribution of emission intensity. These kinds of images contain further information that is concealed in intensity images. This article outlines color-coding of intensity versus lifetime images and how the combination of the two contrast methods...

Why do we need a Pinhole in a Confocal Microscope?
Dr. Rolf T. Borlinghaus, Leica Microsystems GmbH
Whenever we use a confocal microscope and when we will have to discuss its parameters and features, inevitably the pinhole will be talked about and how its size effects the resulting images. This brief introductory text explains the meaning of the pinhole and is meant for readers who do not want ...

HyVolution - Super-resolution Imaging with a Confocal Microscope
Dr. Rolf T. Borlinghaus, Dr. Constantin Kappel, Leica Microsystems GmbH
Since the invention of the microscope, there has been continual discussion about the possibility of showing more detailed features of specimens as compared to just magnifying them. Ernst Abbe was the first to explore the issue in depth and found there was a limit to the size of details visible in...

From Light to Mind: Sensors and Measuring Techniques in Confocal Microscopy
Dr. Rolf T. Borlinghaus, Leica Microsystems GmbH
This article outlines the most important sensors used in confocal microscopy. By confocal microscopy, we mean "True Confocal Scanning", i.e. the technique that illuminates and measures one single point only. The aim is not to impart in-depth specialist knowledge, but to give the user a small but ...

Super-Resolution - On a Heuristic Point of View About the Resolution of a Light Microscope
Dr. Rolf T Borlinghaus, Leica Microsystems GmbH
Since super-resolution has become one of the most favored methods in biomedical research, the term is gaining in popularity. Still, there is considerable confusion about what super-resolution is and what resolution is at all. Here, the classical view of microscopic resolution is discussed and som...