Lumencor Light Engines

The LIDA Light Engine: Solid state illumination for color light microscopy

The Lumencor® LIDA light engine® is designed to work hand-in-hand with the latest monochrome cameras to generate RGB color transmitted light images with unprecedented sensitivity, spatial resolution, speed and color fidelity. LIDA integrates three solid state sources, including Lumencor’s patented green luminescent light pipe, with the sophisticated control electronics required for high speed synchronization of light output with camera exposure. Transmitted light images are captured in one electronically controlled high-speed sequence.

Variances associated with moving parts are eliminated, resulting in perfect alignment of pixel-registered images across the wide fields of view afforded by modern sCMOS cameras. Independent control of the intensity of the three component light sources allows balanced color rendition without resorting to extensive post-processing of images.

Features and Details

The SOLA SE II Light Engine: Replacement for the Arc Lamp

Lumencor offers a bright, solid state white light source as an alternative to traditional mercury-containing arc lamps: the SOLA SE II light engine®. Compared with an arc lamp, the SOLA SE II is mercury-free, produces more light with less power, requires no maintenance, generates very little heat and is highly efficient in a compact design.

The SOLA SE II provides several watts of visible light through the light guide, giving ample intensity for even the most demanding microscopy applications.

Never again worry about arc lamp alignment, installation and replacement. The expected lifetime of the SOLA SE II light engine is longer than 20,000 hours. The SOLA SE II warranty covers any failures with the light engine including parts and labor, and runs three years.

The lifetime of the SOLA SE II is all usable hours, since the light engine requires essentially no warm-up time, and because it runs with superior stability of output power.

The SOLA SE II is designed to operate via simple manual on/off control or with the aid of a foot pedal with added capabilities for electronic control of both light output on/off status and intensity. It can be controlled by every microscopy software application in the marketplace, or via an optional touch‐driven tablet.

Integration with existing filter cubes and hardware configurations is simple. A liquid light guide and an adapter that connects the light engine to the liquid light guide are available. Couplers are available for connecting the liquid light guide to microscopes from all major microscope manufacturers.

The SOLA SE II is suited for use with single‐band and multi‐band filter sets from Chroma Technologies and Semrock, Inc..

Two models of SOLA SE II light engine are available: the SOLA SE II, which includes a source of violet light, and the SOLA SE II 365, which includes an source of ultraviolet light. The SOLA SE II is suitable for imaging all the most common fluorophores and fluorescent proteins. The SOLA SE II 365 is designed for excitation of fluorophores such as DAPI using existing Hg filter sets, for photoactivation of “caged” compounds, and and for ultraviolet-activated polymerization and photosensitization.

The MIRA Light Engine: Illumination for Clinical Fluorescence Applications

The Lumencor® MIRA light engine® is a high‐performance, bright, solid state illumination subsystem designed for routine, clinical fluorescence applications. MIRA houses multiple independent light sources and with no fan needed for cooling, it produces no vibrations. It directly couples to all major manufacturer’s clinical microscopes and is completely maintenance‐free.

The MIRA light engine features discrete, spectrally stable and powerful outputs. Optical outputs are tuned to efficiently excite DAPI, FITC, TRITC, Cy5 and other like fluorophores. The MIRA light engine integrates multiple solid state sources including Lumencor’s proprietary bright green and yellow light. The violet, cyan, green and red light is bright enough to excite all the clinically relevant fluorophores.

The MIRA optical outputs are controlled with two manual knobs or an optional remote control accessory. Each color can be turned on or off independently or, alternatively, used together to generate a single white light output. Additionally,each channel has independent optical power control. The light engine output may be optimized for the excitation of multiple fluorescent targets. A BNC for TTL triggering of white or any individual color output enables automated operation.

The PEKA Light Engine: Solid State Transmitted Light Source

The Lumencor® PEKA light engine® is a white light illuminator designed for use as a transmitted light source. PEKA couples directly to any major brand microscope and has no fan so produces no vibrations. Spectrally pure white light is generated with no harmful UV or NIR. PEKA may be manually operated or electronically triggered for millisecond timing control.

The PEKA light engine integrates multiple solid state light sources. These include Lumencor’s proprietary, bright green and yellow. The red/yellow/green/blue (RYGB) output is unique in its ability to maintain constant color temperature throughout all gain settings. Lumencor’s white light PEKA can be driven at the same color temperature, regardless of the neutral density selection. This represents the only while light product on the market that can provide a consistent color temperature, regardless of output power. PEKA is a robust illuminator and a powerful alternative to the more traditional tungsten-halogen lamp.

With no moving parts and a cool, clean package, the PEKA is ideally suited for mounting directly to the transmission lamp port of any major microscope. Mounting hardware compatible with all major microscope brands is available. Not only is PEKA vibration-free, but like all Lumencor’s products, it is mercury-free.

The SOLA SM II Light Engine

The Lumencor® SOLA SM II light engine® is a high performance illumination source that is as easy to operate as the light switch in your hallway. Powerful, solid state sources provide bright illumination of the visible wavelengths you need with no unwanted deeper UV or Near IR to compromise your experiment.

Warmup time is essentially instantaneous, with stabilized output achieved in 1 second with the flip of a switch or a tap of the foot-pedal.

Simplicity of operation and stable, long-term use were primary goals of the SOLA SM II light engine design. This is an arc lamp replacement that boasts all the advantages of solid-state sources. Why use an arc lamp when the SOLA SM II produces more light with less power, requires no maintenance, generates very little heat and is highly efficient in a compact design? The SOLA SM II light engine is an economical choice because no bulbs need to be replaced, power consumption is low and the working lifetime of the product far exceeds that of a lamp. It also does without the dangerous doses of mercury and other hazardous materials found in metal halide and mercury bulbs which pollute our air, land and water.

The SOLA SM II supports a foot-pedal switch for on/off control. A 3 mm diameter liquid light guide is optional. Couplers are available for connecting the liquid light guide to microscopes from all major microscope manufacturers.

The SOLA SM II is suited for use with single‐band and multi‐band filter sets from Chroma Technologies and Semrock, Inc..

While the SOLA SM II is very simple to operate, be assured it is also very powerful. Expect 3 watts of visible light pumped through the light guide, giving ample intensity for the most demanding microscope applications, including imaging all the most common fluorophores and fluorescent proteins.

Two models of SOLA SM II light engine are available: the SOLA SM II, which includes a source of violet light, and the SOLA SM II 365, which includes an source of ultraviolet light. The SOLA SM II is suitable for imaging all the most common fluorophores and fluorescent proteins. The SOLA SM II 365 is designed as a true replacement for a mercury lamp, using existing Hg filter sets.

Remote Control Accessory

The Remote Control Accessory provides control of the Lumencor® SPECTRA X and SOLA SE light engines® directly as well as via software.

In SPECTRA control mode, it allows the user to name the individual excitation bands, toggle between them, adjust power levels for individual bands, and save the settings for quick recall during subsequent use.

In SOLA control mode, it allows the user to adjust the output power level and will save the setting for quick recall. The output may be enabled or disabled externally by a camera, manual switch or computer.

In UniBlitz® emulation mode, it responds to UniBlitz shutter commands, turning its output on or off.

Its four‐line display offers real-time readout of light engine settings and states. The user can customize the interface of the Remote Control Accessory itself, providing ease of light use to individual users and core facilities.

The Accessory can be used without a dedicated computer or third‐party software.

It can be used in conjunction with the Camera Interface Accessory (CIA).

Camera Interface Accessory

Lumencor® SPECTRA light engines® already reduce photo-toxic events that occur while imaging samples due to its spectrally pure outputs. The use of solid state technology eliminates stray ultraviolet and infrared light that can damage cells.

The Camera Interface Accessory improves the precision of the SPECTRA’s timing and control by allowing the SPECTRA to run as master or slave in an imaging system. This direct control ensures the SPECTRA is perfectly synchronized with the camera for acquisition. Thus, biological samples are exposed to the minimum amount of light needed for image capture.

In addition to gating the light engine and camera, the Accessory can also be logically linked to other devices such as filter wheels and X-Y-Z stages to reduce overhead and delays in image acquisition on more complex systems.