Products Home / Imaging Components / DIY Cerna Components: Imaging for Home Builders / Sample Holders for DIY Cerna Systems / Manual XY Microscopy Stages for DIY Cerna® SystemsManual XY Microscopy Stages for DIY Cerna® Systems
- Arm Attaches Olympus U-SV Line XY Stages to a Cerna® Microscope
- Stage Provides 80 mm x 54 mm of Manual Adjustment in X and Y
- Stage Accepts Slide Holder or Alternate U-H Line Sample Holders
CSA1051
Cerna Stage Adapter Arm
CSS2000
Olympus U-H Slide Holder
CSS2001
Olympus U-SV Manual XY Stage
Microscopy stage assembly attached to a Cerna microscope body.
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The adapter arm attaches to a Cerna® microscope body via two 4 mm hex screws.
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A female D1Y dovetail on the underside of the stage mounts the stage onto the adapter arm.
Features
- Stage Adapter Arm for Cerna® Systems
- Holds Any Olympus U-SV Line XY Stage at 7.74" Cerna Microscope Throat Depth
- 95 mm Dovetail Clamp Compatible with Cerna Microscope Bodies
- Manual Stage Allows Independent Translation of 80 mm (3.1") in X and 54 mm (2.1") in Y
- Stage Compatible with Slide Holder or Any Olympus U-H Line Sample Holders
To provide Olympus stage and sample holder compatibility with the Cerna microscopy platform, Thorlabs offers a microscopy stage adapter arm as well as a manual XY microscopy stage and slide holder.
The CSA1051 Stage Adapter Arm is specifically designed with a D1Y male dovetail mount for either the CSS2001 Manual XY Stage or any Olympus U-SV line XY stage (see the Microscope Dovetails tab as well as the image to the right for further details). A thumbscrew on the front of the microscopy stage allows it to be secured to the dovetail on the adapter arm (see the photo to the right). The female linear dovetail on the adapter arm then securely mounts to either a Cerna microscope body or any 95 mm rail (see far right photo).
The CSS2001 manual XY microscopy stage is both stable and easy to use, smoothly providing 80 mm (3.1") of translation along the X axis and 54 mm (2.1") of translation along the Y axis without obstruction. A Vernier scale with 100 μm resolution alongside each axis provides high precision sample positioning. Knobs below the stage provide independent X and Y movement: the entire top plate of the stage translates in the Y direction (front-to-back), while only the thumb screws used to secure a sample holder translate in the X direction (side-to-side).
The manual microscopy stage is compatible with either the CSS2000 slide holder or other Olympus U-H line sample holders. The slide holder holds standard microscope slides and is secured to the stage using two thumb screws behind the X axis scale.
For applications that require bidirectional repeatability, please see our XY motorized scanning microscopy stage.
| Thorlabs Dovetail Reference a | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Shape | Outer Dimension | Angle |
| 95 mm | Linear | 95 mm | 45° |
| D1N | Circular | Ø2.018" | 60° |
| D2Nb | Circular | Ø1.50" | 90° |
| D2NBb | Circular | Ø1.50" | 90° |
| D3N | Circular | Ø45 mm | 70° |
| D5N | Circular | Ø1.58" | 90° |
| D6N | Circular | Ø1.90" | 90° |
| D7N | Circular | Ø2.05" | 90° |
| D1T | Circular | Ø1.50" | 60° |
| D3T | Circular | Ø1.65" | 90° |
| D1Y | Circular | Ø107 mm | 60° |
| D2Y | Circular | Ø2.32" | 50° |
| D3Y | Circular | Ø1.75" | 90° |
| D4Y | Circular | Ø56 mm | 60° |
| D5Y | Circular | Ø46 mm | 60° |
| D6Y | Circular | Ø41.9 mm | 45° |
| D1Z | Circular | Ø54 mm | 60° |
| D2Z | Circular | Ø57 mm | 60° |
| D3Z | Circular | Ø54 mm | 45° |
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This photo shows the male D1N dovetail on the trinoculars next to the female D1N dovetail on the epi-illumination arm.
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This photo shows the male 95 mm dovetail on the microscope body and the female 95 mm dovetail on the CSA1002 Fixed Arm.
Introduction to Microscope Dovetails
Dovetails are used for mechanical mating and optical port alignment of microscope components. Components are connected by inserting one dovetail into another, then tightening one or more locking setscrews on the female dovetail. Dovetails come in two shapes: linear and circular. Linear dovetails allow the mating components to slide before being locked down, providing flexible positioning options while limiting unneeded degrees of freedom. Circular dovetails align optical ports on different components, maintaining a single optical axis with minimal user intervention.
Thorlabs manufactures many components which use dovetails to mate with our own components or those of other manufacturers. To make it easier to identify dovetail compatibility, we have developed a set of dovetail designations. The naming convention of these designations is used only by Thorlabs and not other microscope manufacturers. The table to the right lists all the dovetails Thorlabs makes, along with their key dimensions.
In the case of Thorlabs’ Cerna® microscopes, different dovetail types are used on different sections of the microscope to ensure that only compatible components can be mated. For example, our WFA2002 Epi-Illuminator Module has a male D1N dovetail that mates with the female D1N dovetail on the microscope body's epi-illumination arm, while the CSS2001 XY Microscopy Stage has a female D1Y dovetail that mates with the male D1Y dovetail on the CSA1051 Mounting Arm.
To learn which dovetail type(s) are on a particular component, consult its mechanical drawing, available by clicking on the red Docs icon (
) below. For adapters with a female dovetail, the drawing also indicates the size of the hex key needed for the locking setscrew(s). It is important to note that mechanical compatibility does not ensure optical compatibility. Information on optical compatibility is available from Thorlabs' web presentations.
For customers interested in machining their own dovetails, the table to the right gives the outer diameter and angle (as defined by the drawings below) of each Thorlabs dovetail designation. However, the dovetail's height must be determined by the user, and for circular dovetails, the user must also determine the inner diameter and bore diameter. These quantities can vary for dovetails of the same type. One can use the intended mating part to verify compatibility.
In order to reduce wear and simplify connections, dovetails are often machined with chamfers, recesses, and other mechanical features. Some examples of these variations are shown by the drawings below.
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Two examples of how circular male dovetails can be manufactured.
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Two examples of how circular female dovetails can be manufactured.
Building a Cerna® Microscope
The Cerna microscopy platform's large working volume and system of dovetails make it straightforward to connect and position the components of the microscope. This flexibility enables simple and stable set up of a preconfigured microscope, and provides easy paths for later upgrades and modification. See below for a couple examples of the assembly of some DIY Cerna microscopes.
DIY Cerna Design and Assembly
Walkthrough of a DIY Microscope Configuration
This DIY microscope uses a CSA3000(/M) Breadboard Top, a CSA2001 Dovetail Adapter, our CSA1001 and CSA1002 Fixed Arms, and other body attachments and extensions. These components provide interfaces to our lens tube and cage construction systems, allowing the rig to incorporate two independent trans-illumination modules, a home-built epi-illumination path, and a custom sample viewing optical path.
The simplicity of Thorlabs optomechanical interfaces allows a custom DIY microscope to be quickly assembled and reconfigured for custom imaging applications.
Reading a Vernier Scale on a Linear Main Scale
Vernier scales are typically used to add precision to standard, evenly divided scales (such as the scales on Thorlabs' rotation, goniometric, or translation mounts). A vernier scale has found common use in many precision measurement instruments, the most common being calipers and micrometers. The vernier scale uses two scales side-by-side: the main scale and the vernier scale. The direct vernier scale has a slightly smaller spacing between its tick marks owing to the vernier scale having N ticks for every N - 1 ticks on the main scale. Hence, the lines on the main scale will not line up with all the lines on the vernier scale. Only one line from the vernier scale will match well with one line of the main scale, and that is the trick to reading a vernier scale.
Figures 1 through 3 show a linear vernier scale system for three different situations. In each case, the scale on the left is the main scale, while the small scale on the right is the vernier scale. When reading a vernier scale, the main scale is used for the gross number, and the vernier scale gives the precision value. In this manner, a standard ruler or micrometer can become a precision instrument.
The 0 on the vernier scale is the "pointer" (marked by a red arrow in Figures 1 - 5) and will indicate the main scale reading. In Figure 1 we see the pointer is lined up directly with the 75.6 line. Notice that the only other vernier scale tick mark that lines up well with the main scale is 10. Since the pointer lines up with the main scale’s 75.6, the reading from Figure 1 is 75.60 (in whatever units the instrument measures).
That is essentially all there is to reading a vernier scale. It's a very straightforward way of increasing the precision of a measurement instrument. To expound, let’s look at Figure 2. Here we see that the pointer is no longer aligned with a line on the main scale, but instead it is slightly above 75.6 and below 75.7; thus, the gross measurement is 75.6. The first vernier line that coincides with a main scale line is the 5, shown with a blue arrow. The vernier scale gives the final digit of precision; since the 5 is aligned to the main scale, the precision measurement for Figure 2 is 75.65.
Since this vernier scale is 10% smaller than the main scale, moving the vernier scale by 1/10 of the main scale will align the next vernier marking. This asks the obvious question: what if the measurement is within the 1/10 precision of the vernier scale? Figure 3 shows just this. Again, the pointer line is in between 75.6 and 75.7, yielding the gross measurement of 75.6. If we look closely, we see that the vernier scale 7 (marked with a blue arrow) is very closely aligned to the main scale, giving a precision measurement of 75.67. However, the vernier scale 7 is very slightly above the main scale mark, and we can see that the vernier scale 8 (directly above 7) is slightly below its corresponding main scale mark. Hence, the scale on Figure 3 could be read as 75.673 ± 0.002. A reading error of about 0.002 would be appropriate for
this instrument.
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Figure 1: An example of how to read a vernier scale. The red arrow indicates what is known as the pointer. Since the tick mark labeled 10 on the vernier scale aligns with one of the tick marks on the main scale, this vernier scale is reading 75.60 (in whatever units the instrument measures).
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Figure 2: The red arrow indicates the pointer and the blue arrow indicates the vernier line that matches the main scale. This scale reads 75.65.
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Figure 3: The red arrow indicates the pointer, and the blue arrow indicates the vernier line that matches the main scale. This scale reads 75.67 but can be accurately read as
75.673 ± 0.002.
Reading a Vernier Scale on a Rotating Main Scale
The vernier scale may also be used on rotating scales where the main scale and vernier scale do not share units. Figures 4 and 5 show a vernier scale system for two different situations where the main scale is given in degrees and the vernier scale has ticks every 5 arcmin (60 arcmin = 1°). In each case, the scale on the top is the main scale, while the small scale on the bottom is the vernier scale.
In Figure 4 we see the pointer is lined up directly with the 341° line. Notice that the only other vernier scale tick marks that line up well with the main scale are ±60 arcmin. Since the pointer lines up with the main scale at 341°, the reading from Figure 4 is 341.00°.
There are two ways to determine the reading if the zero on the vernier scale line is between two lines of the main scale. For the first method, take the line on the left side of the pointer on the vernier scale and subtract that value (in arcmin) from the value on the main scale that is to the right on the main scale. As an example, in Figure 5 the vernier pointer is between 342° and 343°; using the left blue arrow of the vernier scale results in
As we've seen here, vernier scales add precision to a standard scale measurement. While it takes a bit of getting used to, with a little practice, reading these scales is fairly straightforward. Vernier scales, whether they are direct or retrograde*, are read in the same fashion.
*A retrograde vernier scale has a larger spacing between its tick marks with N ticks for every N + 1 ticks on the main scale.
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Figure 4: An example of a vernier scale where the main scale and the vernier scale are in different units (degrees and arcmins, respectively). The red arrow indicates the pointer. This scale reads 341.00°.
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Figure 5: The red arrow indicates the pointer and the blue arrows give the precision value from the vernier scale.
This scale reads 342.75°.
| Posted Comments: | |
cbrideau
(posted 2016-11-23 20:31:39.823) There should be a convenient way to attach the CSS2001 to the Cerna Mini to provide a non-motorized XY option for budget builds. tfrisch
(posted 2016-11-28 11:48:15.0) Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The sample is most often placed on a separate post for the Cerna Mini applications, so you may be able to use our standard 95mm rails for a budget solution to mount the CSS2001. |
Click on the different parts of the microscope to explore their functions.
Elements of a Microscope
This overview was developed to provide a general understanding of a Cerna® microscope. Click on the different portions of the microscope graphic to the right or use the links below to learn how a Cerna microscope visualizes a sample.
Terminology
Arm: Holds components in the optical path of the microscope.
Bayonet Mount: A form of mechanical attachment with tabs on the male end that fit into L-shaped slots on the female end.
Bellows: A tube with accordion-shaped rubber sides for a flexible, light-tight extension between the microscope body and the objective.
Breadboard: A flat structure with regularly spaced tapped holes for DIY construction.
Dovetail: A form of mechanical attachment for many microscopy components. A linear dovetail allows flexible positioning along one dimension before being locked down, while a circular dovetail secures the component in one position. See the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for details.
Epi-Illumination: Illumination on the same side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Epi-fluorescence, reflected light, and confocal microscopy are some examples of imaging modalities that utilize epi-illumination.
Filter Cube: A cube that holds filters and other optical elements at the correct orientations for microscopy. For example, filter cubes are essential for fluorescence microscopy and reflected light microscopy.
Köhler Illumination: A method of illumination that utilizes various optical elements to defocus and flatten the intensity of light across the field of view in the sample plane. A condenser and light collimator are necessary for this technique.
Nosepiece: A type of arm used to hold the microscope objective in the optical path of the microscope.
Optical Path: The path light follows through the microscope.
Rail Height: The height of the support rail of the microscope body.
Throat Depth: The distance from the vertical portion of the optical path to the edge of the support rail of the microscope body. The size of the throat depth, along with the working height, determine the working space available for microscopy.
Trans-Illumination: Illumination on the opposite side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), Dodt gradient contrast, and darkfield microscopy are some examples of imaging modalities that utilize trans-illumination.
Working Height: The height of the support rail of the microscope body plus the height of the base. The size of the working height, along with the throat depth, determine the working space available for microscopy.
Click to EnlargeCerna Microscope Body
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Body Details
Microscope Body
The microscope body provides the foundation of any Cerna microscope. The support rail utilizes 95 mm rails machined to a high angular tolerance to ensure an aligned optical path and perpendicularity with the optical table. The support rail height chosen (350 - 600 mm) determines the vertical range available for experiments and microscopy components. The 7.74" throat depth, or distance from the optical path to the support rail, provides a large working space for experiments. Components attach to the body by way of either a linear dovetail on the support rail, or a circular dovetail on the epi-illumination arm (on certain models). Please see the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for further details.
Click to EnlargeIllumination with a Cerna microscope can come from above (yellow) or below (orange). Illumination sources (green) attach to either.
Illumination
Using the Cerna microscope body, a sample can be illuminated in two directions: from above (epi-illumination, see yellow components to the right) or from below (trans-illumination, see orange components to the right).
Epi-illumination illuminates on the same side of the sample as the viewing apparatus; therefore, the light from the illumination source (green) and the light from the sample plane share a portion of the optical path. It is used in fluorescence, confocal, and reflected light microscopy. Epi-illumination modules, which direct and condition light along the optical path, are attached to the epi-illumination arm of the microscope body via a circular D1N dovetail (see the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for details). Multiple epi-illumination modules are available, as well as breadboard tops, which have regularly spaced tapped holes for custom designs.
Trans-illumination illuminates from the opposite side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Example imaging modalities include brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), Dodt gradient contrast, oblique, and darkfield microscopy. Trans-illumination modules, which condition light (on certain models) and direct it along the optical path, are attached to the support rail of the microscope body via a linear dovetail (see Microscope Dovetails tab or here). Please note that certain imaging modalities will require additional optics to alter the properties of the beam; these optics may be easily incorporated in the optical path via lens tubes and cage systems. In addition, Thorlabs offers condensers, which reshape input collimated light to help create optimal Köhler illumination. These attach to a mounting arm, which holds the condenser at the throat depth, or the distance from the optical path to the support rail. The arm attaches to a focusing module, used for aligning the condenser with respect to the sample and trans-illumination module.
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| Epi-Illumination Modules | Breadboards & Body Attachments |
Brightfield | DIC | Dodt | Condensers | Condenser Mounting | Light Sources |
Click to EnlargeLight from the sample plane is collected through an objective (blue) and viewed using trinocs or other optical ports (pink).
Sample Viewing/Recording
Once illuminated, examining a sample with a microscope requires both focusing on the sample plane (see blue components to the right) and visualizing the resulting image (see pink components).
A microscope objective collects and magnifies light from the sample plane for imaging. On the Cerna microscope, the objective is threaded onto a nosepiece, which holds the objective at the throat depth, or the distance from the optical path to the support rail of the microscope body. This nosepiece is secured to a motorized focusing module, used for focusing the objective as well as for moving it out of the way for sample handling. To ensure a light-tight path from the objective, the microscope body comes with a bellows (not pictured).
Various modules are available for sample viewing and data collection. Trinoculars have three points of vision to view the sample directly as well as with a camera. Double camera ports redirect or split the optical path among two viewing channels. Camera tubes increase or decrease the image magnification. For data collection, Thorlabs offers both cameras and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), the latter being necessary to detect fluorescence signals for confocal microscopy. Breadboard tops provide functionality for custom-designed data collection setups. Modules are attached to the microscope body via a circular dovetail (see the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for details).
Click to EnlargeThe rigid stand (purple) pictured is one of various sample mounting options available.
Sample/Experiment Mounting
Various sample and equipment mounting options are available to take advantage of the large working space of this microscope system. Large samples and ancillary equipment can be mounted via mounting platforms, which fit around the microscope body and utilize a breadboard design with regularly spaced tapped through holes. Small samples can be mounted on rigid stands (for example, see the purple component to the right), which have holders for different methods of sample preparation and data collection, such as slides, well plates, and petri dishes. For more traditional sample mounting, slides can also be mounted directly onto the microscope body via a manual XY stage. The rigid stands can translate by way of motorized stages (sold separately), while the mounting platforms contain built-in mechanics for motorized or manual translation. Rigid stands can also be mounted on top of the mounting platforms for independent and synchronized movement of multiple instruments, if you are interested in performing experiments simultaneously during microscopy.
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| Translating Platforms | Rigid Stands | Translation Stages for Rigid Stands | Motorized XY Stages | Manual XY Stage |
For sample viewing, Thorlabs offers trinoculars, double camera ports, and camera tubes. Light from the sample plane can be collected via cameras, photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), or custom setups using breadboard tops. Click here for additional information about viewing samples with a Cerna microscope.
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| Sample Viewing | Breadboards & Body Attachments |
Cameras | PMTs |
Microscope objectives are held in the optical path of the microscope via a nosepiece. Click here for additional information about viewing a sample with a Cerna microscope.
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| Objectives | Objective Thread Adapters | Parfocal Length Extender | Piezo Objective Scanner | Objective Mounting |
Large and small experiment mounting options are available to take advantage of the large working space of this microscope. Click here for additional information about mounting a sample for microscopy.
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| Translating Platforms | Rigid Stands | Translation Stages for Rigid Stands | Motorized XY Stages | Manual XY Stage |
Thorlabs offers various light sources for epi- and trans-illumination. Please see the full web presentation of each to determine its functionality within the Cerna microscopy platform.
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| Trans-Illumination Kits | Solis™ High-Power LEDs | Mounted LEDs | X-Cite® Lamps | Other Light Sources |
Epi-illumination illuminates the sample on the same side as the viewing apparatus. Example imaging modalities include fluorescence, confocal, and reflected light microscopy. Click here for additional information on epi-illumination with Cerna.
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| Epi-Illumination | Body Attachments | Light Sources |
Trans-illumination illuminates from the opposite side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Example imaging modalities include brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), Dodt gradient contrast, oblique, and darkfield microscopy. Click here for additional information on trans-illumination with Cerna.
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| Brightfield | DIC | Dodt | Condensers | Condenser Mounting | Illumination Kits | Other Light Sources |
The microscope body provides the foundation of any Cerna microscope. The 7.74" throat depth provides a large working space for experiments. Click here for additional information about the Cerna microscope body.
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| Microscope Bodies | Microscope Translator |
Manual XY Microscopy Stage