Ultrawide
Field of View
TIRF Microscopy

Get a glimpse at our game changing total internal reflection (TIR) microscopy system QuScite. Our waveguide technology facilitates for the first time field of views in the range of mm2 while ensuring highly reliable measurement conditions, on any imaging system, and even with low magnification objectives.

We will launch QuScite in 2023. Join our in-person events to get your hands on the system or become β tester:

next generation TIRF microscopy

QuScite is the world’s first waveguide-based total internal reflection (TIR) system for high- and super-resolution microscopy. Scale up your field of view and capture more details in a single shot without compromising on resolution.  Made for live cell imaging, single molecule studies and DNA science. Its ease of use saves your valuable time and let’s you focus on what matters most:

Your experiment and reproducible results.

See below to learn more about our technology and its unique advantages.

key features

QuScite key features
ultrawide field of view
You sample (e.g. cell culture) is optically excited via different waveguides on our QuChips that replace the coverslip in your workflow. This way you are able to illuminate simultaneously several mm2. Your field of view is in only limited by the collection optics. You select your excitation by simply choosing the waveguide your want to work with.
superb signal-to-noise ratio
QuScite allows to separate excitation from detection path. This, in combination with careful choice of QuChip materials and waveguide design, allows to reduce the background below the shot noise limit of your camera. The resulting superior signal to noise ratio (SNR) leads to shorter integration times, smaller bleaching rates, better localization precision and reduced phototoxicity.
homogeneous illumination profile
You sample area is illuminated with a highly homogenous field reaching a field flatness of over 1000:1, while most conventional TIRF system achieve at best 30:1. This enables for the first time artifact free imaging and quantitative interpretation of TIRF data.
plug & play system
Simply mount your QuChip on our chip carrier, prepare your sample and connect it to the light coupling unit (LCU) that is sitting on your microscope. Choose wavelength, waveguide and start your measurement. The system automatically takes care of alignment, power stabilization and camera synchronization.
first intrinsically calibrated TIRF system
The penetration depth of the evanescent field into your sample volume is well defined for each QuChip geometry and only depends on the sample refractive index. This ensures reproducible results independent on the microscope your are using and without time consuming prior calibration.
upgrade any microscope with QuScite
QuScite is designed to be compatible with every home-build or commercial microscope covering upright and inverted systems. You can even use your smart phone to capture TIRF images with sub 100 nm axial resolution.

key features

QuScite key features
ultrawide field of view
You sample (e.g. cell culture) is optically excited via different waveguides on our QuChips that replace the coverslip in your workflow. This way you are able to illuminate simultaneously several mm2. Your field of view is in only limited by the collection optics. You select your excitation by simply choosing the waveguide your want to work with.
superb signal-to-noise ratio
QuScite allows to separate excitation from detection path. This, in combination with careful choice of QuChip materials and waveguide design, allows to reduce the background below the shot noise limit of your camera. The resulting superior signal to noise ratio (SNR) leads to shorter integration times, smaller bleaching rates, better localization precision and reduced phototoxicity.
homogeneous illumination profile
You sample area is illuminated with a highly homogenous field reaching a field flatness of over 1000:1, while most conventional TIRF system achieve at best 30:1. This enables for the first time artifact free imaging and quantitative interpretation of TIRF data.
plug & play system
Simply mount your QuChip on our chip carrier, prepare your sample and connect it to the light coupling unit (LCU) that is sitting on your microscope. Choose wavelength, waveguide and start your measurement. The system automatically takes care of alignment, power stabilization and camera synchronization.
first intrinsically calibrated TIRF system
The penetration depth of the evanescent field into your sample volume is well defined for each QuChip geometry and only depends on the sample refractive index. This ensures reproducible results independent on the microscope your are using and without time consuming prior calibration.
upgrade any microscope with QuScite
QuScite is designed to be compatible with every home-build or commercial microscope covering upright and inverted systems. You can even use your smart phone to capture TIRF images with sub 100 nm axial resolution.

the excitation principle

QuScite

objective based TIRF

Functional principle of QuScite

QuScite works with QuChips which replace your coverslip. They contain thin film optical waveguides (integrated optics) that support a guided mode with a strong evanescent field tail entering into the sample volume. The penetration depth as well as the illuminated area is only dependent on the waveguide geometry and independent of your microscope objective. This way you can decouple excitation and detection and capture TIRF images with every microscope without any modifications reaching field of views on the order of square millimeters.

Within conventional TIRF systems the sample is excited via a high numerical aperture objective that requires immersion medium. Here, the excitation beam enters the objective in a certain manner to ensure the total internal reflection condition at the coverslip-sample interface. The position of the laser beam has a strong impact on the penetration depth, the field-of-view and on homogeneity of the TIR illumination. Typical field of views are on the order of 40 x 40 square micrometers.

 

compatible with any objective

immersion objective required

wide field of view

small field of view

upgrade any microscope

microscope specific

defined penetration depth

undefined penetration depth

perfect field homogeneity

low field homogeneity

alignment free

regular alignment needed

no temperature drifts

temperature sensitive

ultra-low background

residual scattered light (HILO etc.)

calibrated intensity

unknown intensity

the excitation principle

QuScite

QuScite works with QuChips which replace your coverslip. They contain thin film optical waveguides (integrated optics) that support a guided mode with a strong evanescent field tail entering into the sample volume. The penetration depth as well as the illuminated area is only dependent on the waveguide geometry and independent of your microscope objective. This way you can decouple excitation and detection and capture TIRF images with every microscope without any modifications reaching field of views on the order of square millimeters.

compatible with any objective

wide field of view

upgrade any microscope

defined penetration depth

perfect field homogeneity

alignment free

no temperature drifts

ultra-low background

calibrated intensity

objective based TIRF

Within conventional TIRF systems the sample is excited via a high numerical aperture objective that requires immersion medium. Here, the excitation beam enters the objective in a certain manner to ensure the total internal reflection condition at the coverslip-sample interface. The position of the laser beam has a strong impact on the penetration depth, the field-of-view and on homogeneity of the TIR illumination. Typical field of views are on the order of 40 x 40 square micrometers.

immersion objective required

small field of view

microscope specific

undefined penetration depth

low field homogeneity

regular alignment needed

temperature sensitive

residual scattered light (HILO etc.)

unknown intensity