Galaxy clusters rank among the most significant known structures in the Universe. Current models suggest they form when clumps of dark matter pull galaxies together, merging smaller groups into vast clusters containing hundreds or even thousands of galaxies. One such group is the Antlia Cluster (Abell S636), located roughly 130 million light-years away in the…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Automated digital slide scanner, MSP 320
The MSP 320 automated digital slide scanner is designed to improve pathology workflows by providing secure digital access to high-resolution slide images, allowing remote review and shortening turn-around times. It scans up to 320 slides per session and integrates advanced AI and machine learning to analyze pathological features, reducing human error and enhancing diagnostic accuracy.…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Vero AFM
In atomic force microscopy (AFM), numerous incremental improvements have been made, yet relatively few new products showcase transformative technologies and capabilities. Asylum Research has been a player in the AFM industry since its founding in 1999. By implementing closed-loop scanning, the MFP-3D AFM (2002) achieved significant advancements in the accuracy of AFM imaging metrology. The…
National Lab collaboration advances nuclear reactor inspections with faster, safer techniques
A partnership between the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is streamlining inspections of nuclear reactor components and materials by using advanced algorithms and advanced imaging technology. Initially focused on additively manufactured nuclear parts, the collaboration has expanded to include inspections of nuclear fuel, enabling quicker and safer evaluations. Key…
Endiatx aims to boldly go beyond traditional endoscopy and, eventually, redefine surgical scale
Picture a nuclear-powered surgical robot targeting glioblastoma. Or imagine hijacking a botfly larva to perform delicate internal interventions. These scenarios may sound far out, but Endiatx CEO Torrey Smith talks about them as if describing an ambitious home improvement project — challenging but entirely feasible with the right approach and tools. Though these scenarios sound…
Thermo Fisher Scientific unveils integrated multimodal electron microscope at European Microscopy Congress 2024
Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced the Thermo Scientific Iliad (S)TEM, a fully integrated multimodal scanning transmission electron microscope designed to advance research in materials science by offering atomic-level insights into complex modern materials. Revealed at the European Microscopy Congress 2024 in Copenhagen, the Iliad (S)TEM combines inventive technologies such as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS)…
ISS Research could pave the way for earlier cancer diagnosis
Researchers are exploring the potential of the International Space Station’s microgravity environment to improve the sensitivity of biosensors used for cancer detection, leading them to investigate a compelling possibility: Could the key to earlier cancer detection lie in the behavior of bubbles in space? Studies on the ISS are showing that it just might, as…
Decoding Lubrizol’s AI-driven beauty R&D
At Lubrizol, the quest for better skincare has taken a decidedly high-tech turn, culminating in the recent opening of a new Beauty Research Institute in Shanghai. This facility will serve as a global hub for in-vivo beauty testing. It will also aid the company in developing next-generation ingredients designed to cater to the specific needs…
Quantum dot filters enable single-pixel NIR hyperspectral imaging
A new approach for near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging collects both spectral and spatial information to create detailed 3D datasets. Published in Nature’s Light | Science & Applications imprint, the method uses self-assembled colloidal quantum dot (CQD) color filters with tunable absorption properties and a digital micromirror device (DMD) to encode spectral and spatial data. The…
Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
For six decades, the R&D 100 Awards have been a benchmark of achievement in science and technology, often referred to informally as “The Oscars of Innovation.” This year, we’re offering a new interactive experience, allowing you to explore the remarkable work of both winners and finalists across diverse fields. From advances in mechanical and material…
New X-ray beam monitoring technology unveiled
Advent Diamond, a diamond semiconductor technology, has announced the release of the ClearXCam 2304, a novel X-ray beam monitoring technology. Traditionally, diamond has been employed for X-ray beam monitoring with four-quadrant monitors. The new ClearXCam 2304, however, delivers 2304-pixel images of X-ray beams in real-time, thanks to video-rate imaging. According to Advent Diamond, the new…
R&D 100 winner of the day: Keyence 3D Optical Profiler with Rotational Unit
Unlike traditional optical profiling systems that are hard to use and have material restrictions due to low dynamic range, the VR-6000, from Keyence Corporation of America, offers a simple place-and-press interface partnered with HDR scanning to capture highly accurate data, even on glossy or matte surfaces. The HDR algorithm automatically determines optimum lighting conditions, adjusting…
World’s first Microhub makes spatial context accessible for all
Leica Microsystems, a provider of microscopy and scientific instrumentation and a Life Sciences company of Danaher Corporation, has launched Mica, the world’s first Microhub. A Microhub is a new type of wholly integrated imaging solution that leverages machine learning software, automation tools, and unique fluorescence unmixing techniques to automate the imaging workflow for researchers, regardless…
Thermo Scientific Centrios HX offers precise circuit edit solution for fast prototyping
Thermo Fisher Scientific introduces the Thermo Scientific Centrios HX Circuit Edit System. This state-of-the-art circuit edit solution allows semiconductor manufacturers to optimize success rates with high resolution imaging and precise editing of today’s leading-edge devices. As semiconductor devices become more complex, higher precision circuit edit tools are required to optimize product functionality and deliver prototypes…
R&D 100 of the day: The Neutron and Gamma Ray Source Localization and Mapping Platform 2.0
The Neutron and Gamma Localization and Mapping Platform (NG-LAMP), developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is the first ever portable system for simultaneous imaging and mapping of gamma ray and neutron radioactivity in three-dimensions (3D) and in real-time. Unlike all other portable, commercially available radiation imaging systems, which image and map radiation signatures in only…
JEOL’s new Scanning Electron Microscope has “Simple SEM” automation and live elemental and 3D Analysis
JEOL, developer of cutting-edge electron microscopes for materials characterization and analysis, introduces its latest SEM, the JSM-IT510. This new Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) features productivity-enhancing automation, including “Simple SEM” automated imaging, automated montaging (both image and EDS map) and live EDS analysis (spectrum and map). The IT510 is the successor to the popular JEOL IT500…
Improved image quality and resolution for all ZEISS laser scanning microscopes
ZEISS has recently introduced two new software functionalities with ZEISS LSM Plus and ZEISS Airyscan Joint Deconvolution, users achieve better results in confocal microscopy. Maximizing recovery requires improvements in efficiency Laser scanning microscopes (LSMs) are the multifunctional high-end microscopes in every imaging facility, valued as much for their instant, high-quality imaging of optical sections as…
The new eviXscan 3D FinePrecision scanner is tiny but has large capabilities
eviXscan 3D FinePrecision scanner, from Evatronix, is an optical measuring device operating with a blue LED light source. The scanner, equipped with two fast, latest generation 8.9 Mpix cameras with CMOS matrices, is characterized by high accuracy reproduction of even the smallest elements of precision mechanics. FinePrecision technology enables an accurate measurement of the dimensions…
Atik Cameras supports the COVID-19 fight with wide range of imaging solutions for use with PCR Instruments
Atik Cameras, a designer and manufacturer of advanced scientific imaging solutions, has further expanded its collaboration with leading global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) DNA amplifiers, securing multiple new contracts to supply high-performing cameras for reliable COVID-19 testing. Under the new agreements, OEMs will access Atik Cameras’ robust range…
Stand-alone microscope camera from Leica Microsystems offers flexibility for imaging tasks
By Maximilian Breuer Product Manager Applied Microscopy, Leica Microsystems There are numerous applications for optical microscopes, ranging from industrial production processes to research and even education. Indeed, they play a vital role in the quality control of final products and components, such as those produced in the electronics industry. Microscopic inspection for quality control enables…
Berkeley Lab team introduces new approach for whole-cell visualization, using the world’s first soft X-ray tomography (SXT) microscope
By Aliyah Kovner The planet is comprised of continents and islands, each with unique cultures and resources. One area may be well known for growing food, another for manufacturing building materials, and yet despite their differences and distance from one another, the regions are linked by global processes. Living cells are built on a similar…
What is hyperspectral image analysis?
An imaging technique that shows the underlying spectrum for each pixel Hyperspectral imaging combines digital imaging with spectroscopy, so that the underlying frequencies in the spectrum for each pixel can be identified. Because only a single wavelength can be represented as a colour for a pixel, a two-dimensional hyperspectral image effectively represents three-dimensional information, in…
R&D 100 winner of the day: VHX-7000 Digital Microscope
Keyence Corporation of America’s VHX-7000 Digital Microscope pushes the benchmark for what can be offered from a digital microscope. The VHX-7000 is the world’s first 4K microscope, allowing users to view, capture and measure at any angle. With an easy-to-use interface, anyone is able to take high-resolution images and perform 2D/3D measurements. Specialized lenses have…
Engineers produce a fisheye lens that’s completely flat
By Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office To capture panoramic views in a single shot, photographers typically use fisheye lenses — ultra-wide-angle lenses made from multiple pieces of curved glass, which distort incoming light to produce wide, bubble-like images. Their spherical, multipiece design makes fisheye lenses inherently bulky and often costly to produce. Now engineers…
Quantum light squeezes the noise out of microscopy signals
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory used quantum optics to advance state-of-the-art microscopy and illuminate a path to detecting material properties with greater sensitivity than is possible with traditional tools. “We showed how to use squeezed light – a workhorse of quantum information science – as a practical resource for microscopy,”…