CrestOptics and Leica Microsystems collaborate to expand capabilities of spinning disk microscopy

CrestOptics S.p.A., a manufacturer of high-end microscopy solutions and advanced systems for fluorescence microscopy and diagnostic applications, has announced a collaboration with Leica Microsystems, a leading provider of microscopy and scientific instrumentation. The partnership enables Leica Microsystems to offer CrestOptics’ CICERO spinning disk unit within its new THUNDER Imager Cell Spinning Disk system, bringing Leica Microsystems’ suite of unique and powerful imaging technologies to customers in the spinning disk market for the first time.

Launched in April 2023, CICERO was developed to make high-end imaging accessible to the wider scientific community. The system’s design centers around the essential elements of epi-fluorescence and confocal microscopy, providing a highly compact and cost-effective solution for powerful imaging applications. Users can transition between widefield and confocal imaging as required, allowing for deeper insights into subjects ranging from large cell monolayers to complex 3D structures, as well as the capture of fast cellular events such as chromosome segregation and organelle trafficking.

By combining Leica Microsystems’ proprietary THUNDER platform with CrestOptics’ CICERO spinning disk unit, the partnership provides a wider range of options and technologies for customers working with challenging large and 3D samples.

The integration brings together THUNDER's proprietary computational clearing technology, which enhances image quality, with the new intelligent automation of the DMi8 microscope. This includes features such as the automated sample finder for quick, focused overviews, and adaptive immersion technology that maintains optimal focus, switching between low magnification dry overview and water high-resolution views. The system's SmartCORR optimizes objective settings in real-time, making it easy to acquire precise, reproducible data in 3D live cell imaging. Together, these innovations help to streamline and significantly improve workflows for more effective data generation.

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