Live Cell Imaging | Olympus LS

Silicone Immersion Objectives

Silicone immersion objectives are optimized for live cell and live tissue imaging. With a refractive index similar to that of living tissue, silicone immersion objectives offer bright images of cleared tissue. And because silicone oil doesn’t dry out at 37 °C (98.6 °F), time−lapse observations are more reliable and less complex.

$Effects of Refractive Index Mismatch on Sample Shape$	Effects of Refractive Index Mismatch on Sample Shape Matching the refractive index of a sample and immersion media is very important to get accurate 3D images.

$Effects of Refractive Index Mismatch on Sample Shape$

Effects of Refractive Index Mismatch on Sample Shape

Matching the refractive index of a sample and immersion media is very important to get accurate 3D images.

The Brightness of Water/Silicone/Oil 60X Objectives

Oil immersion objectives are the brightest at superficial depths while silicone immersion objectives are brighter than water and oil immersion objectives at all other focus depths.
The brightness of each objective is normalized to the 60X oil objective at the sample’s surface. The sample's refractive index is 1.38.

Comparing the Brightness of 60X Objectives

	Related Videos		Long–Term, Time–Lapse Imaging of a Live Mouse Embryo (UPLSAPO60XS2) Long-term, time-lapse images of a live mouse embryo captured using a silicone immersion objective (UPLSAPO60XS2). The objective enables high‒resolution imaging with a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.30 and 3D imaging with a 0.3 mm working distance. Image data courtesy of Kazuo Yamagata Ph.D., Faculty of Biology–Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University Reference Stem: Cell Reports. 2014 Jun 3; 2 (6): 910–924. Learn more about live cell imaging applications

Long–Term, Time–Lapse Imaging of a Live Mouse Embryo (UPLSAPO60XS2)

Long-term, time-lapse images of a live mouse embryo captured using a silicone immersion objective (UPLSAPO60XS2).
The objective enables high‒resolution imaging with a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.30 and 3D imaging with a 0.3 mm working distance.

Image data courtesy of Kazuo Yamagata Ph.D., Faculty of Biology–Oriented Science and Technology, Kinki University Reference Stem: Cell Reports. 2014 Jun 3; 2 (6): 910–924.

Learn more about live cell imaging applications

Long–Term, Live–Cell Imaging of Arabidopsis Zygote Embryogenesis (UPLSAPO30XS)

The UPLSAPO30XS objective has an NA of 1.05 for brighter images with a higher resolution.

The video shows the process of embryogenesis from the early embryo (4–cell stage) to the late embryo recorded over 60 hours.

Image data courtesy of Daisuke Kurihara, Ph.D., Optical Technology Group, ERATO Higashiyama Live–Holonics Project, Nagoya University
Reference: Dev Cell. 2015 Jul 27; 34 (2): 242–51. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.06.008. Epub 2015 Jul 9.

Learn More About Live Cell Imaging Applications

Silicone Immersion Objectives Selection Guide

	Working Distance (mm)	Magnification	Objective Field Number*	Numerical Aperture	Immersion	Applications
UPLSAPO100XS	0.2	100X	22	1.35	Silicone oil	High-resolution for subcellular imaging
UPLSAPO60XS2	0.3	60X	22	1.30	Silicone oil	High-resolution and long-term, time-lapse imaging of single cells
UPLSAPO40XS	0.3	40X	22	1.25	Silicone oil	Multiple cell imaging with a wider field of view
UPLSAPO30XS	0.8	30X	22	1.05	Silicone oil	Deeper tissue imaging with a wider field of view

*Maximum field number observable through eyepiece.

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*Banner Image: By courtesy of Dr. Kazuo Yamagata, Dr. Mayuko Hori, Dr. Tatsuma Yao, Research Institute for Microbial Disease, Osaka University

Silicone Immersion Objectives

Effects of Refractive Index Mismatch on Sample Shape

The Brightness of Water/Silicone/Oil 60X Objectives

Related Videos

Long–Term, Time–Lapse Imaging of a Live Mouse Embryo (UPLSAPO60XS2)

Long–Term, Live–Cell Imaging of Arabidopsis Zygote Embryogenesis (UPLSAPO30XS)

Related Videos

Silicone Immersion Objectives Selection Guide

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