DYNAMIC
THERMAL
CONTROL

Microscopic temperature control of your sample volume for high-resolution optical microscopy. Just set the temperature and start your measurement. Let VAHEAT do the rest.

Check out what our customers think

Key Features

VAHEAT is a precise temperature control unit for optical microscopes. It combines local heating with direct temperature sensing in the sample volume. This allows for fast and precise temperature adjustment with heating rates up to 100°C/s while maintaining highest temperature precision. Made for investigations of temperature-sensitive processes in life sciences and material research.

Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality

Extreme temperature stability on long (hours to days) and short (seconds to minutes) time scales down to 0.01°C (rms). External temperature variations due to air flow, fluid exchange etc. will be detected and compensated via direct temperature feedback inside the sample volume.

Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality

Extend your experimental temperature range to 100°C (standard range) or even up to 300°C (extended range) depending on your experimental needs. The standard range version is compatible with oil-immersion systems while the extended range version can be operated with air objectives.

Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality

No optical aberration up to 80 °C with the highest numerical aperture objectives on the market. Perfectly suited for single molecule and super resolution studies using state-of- the-art methods (STORM, STED, TIRF, etc.). For more see Technical Performance.

Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility

VAHEAT lets you control the temperature inside the field of view independently from the type of microscope objective or the objective’s temperature. The system is designed as standalone unit without the need for any additional modifications to the optical setup (e.g objective heater) in order to avoid a temperature sink in your field of view. Additionally, the specific design of our smart substrates ensures that the objective’s performance is not altered even at higher temperatures.

Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility

VAHEAT is equipped with four heating modes for different experiments depending on your needs. Modes for fast heating, auto-compensated heating, or well-defined temperature profiles are available.

Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility

No thermal drifts or vibrations even at elevated temperature allow precise single molecule localization. We designed VAHEAT to be compatible with all commercial microscopes. No further modifications of your setup are needed. Its fast thermal response allows for nearly instantaneous thermalization tremendously reducing the waiting times as usual with conventional heating systems.

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Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C

Extreme temperature stability on long (hours to days) and short (seconds to minutes) time scales down to 0.01°C (rms). External temperature variations due to air flow, fluid exchange etc. will be detected and compensated via direct temperature feedback inside the sample volume.

Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C

Extend your experimental temperature range to 100°C (standard range) or even up to 300°C (extended range) depending on your experimental needs. The standard range version is compatible with oil-immersion systems while the extended range version can be operated with air objectives.

Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems

No optical aberration up to 80 °C with the highest numerical aperture objectives on the market. Perfectly suited for single molecule and super resolution studies using state-of- the-art methods (STORM, STED, TIRF, etc.). For more see Technical Performance.

4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems

VAHEAT lets you control the temperature inside the field of view independently from the type of microscope objective or the objective’s temperature. The system is designed as standalone unit without the need for any additional modifications to the optical setup (e.g objective heater) in order to avoid a temperature sink in your field of view. Additionally, the specific design of our smart substrates ensures that the objective’s performance is not altered even at higher temperatures.

4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility
Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility

VAHEAT is equipped with four heating modes for different experiments depending on your needs. Modes for fast heating, auto-compensated heating, or well-defined temperature profiles are available.

Temperature stability of 0.01°C (rms)
Extended temperature range up to 300 °C
Superb Imaging Quality
Fast and reliable - made for oil immersion systems
4 Heating Modes
Mechanical stability and device compatibility

No thermal drifts or vibrations even at elevated temperature allow precise single molecule localization. We designed VAHEAT to be compatible with all commercial microscopes. No further modifications of your setup are needed. Its fast thermal response allows for nearly instantaneous thermalization tremendously reducing the waiting times as usual with conventional heating systems.

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Components

Control Unit

The control unit is the interface between you and your sample temperature. It displays the current temperature and allows to easily adjust the temperature by turning a single knob. An USB interface grants remote control and synchronization of the system parameters with your image acquisition. Four heating modes are available to meet your specific needs.
  • STANDARD RANGE
  • EXTENDED RANGE
The standard range version is meant for studies up to 105 °C. The maximal heating power of 2500 mW is more than enough to ensure thermalization of up to 600 μL sample volume within a few seconds. This system is optimally suited to study live cells or other temperature sensitive processes with high- and super-resolution microscopes.

Heating Power

<2500 mW

Max. temperature

105 °C.

Smart Substrates

SmS and SmS-R

Applications

High and super resolutions studies

The extended range version is meant for studies up to 300 °C. The maximal heating power of 5000 mW boosts your sample temperature to your desired setpoint even when larger thermal loads are attached. This system is made for investigations using air spaced microscope objective for studying e.g. phase transitions or diffusional behavior.

Heating Power

<5000 mW

Max. temperature

300 °C

Smart Substrates

SmS, SmS-R and SmS-E

Applications

High resolutions studies

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VAHEAT can be operated in four different modes that will ideally fit your experimental needs.

  • AUTO
  • DIRECT
  • SHOCK
  • PROFILE
The AUTO mode is the basic operating mode of VAHEAT. Here, the sample temperature is feedbacked for regulating the applied heating power. A proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control loop ensures to keep the sample at the desired temperature even when external disturbances are present. PID parameters are individually adjustable according to the specifics of your setup.
The DIRECT mode allows a direct control of the heating power. It is possible to exploit the fastest possible heating dynamics while the feedback loop is switched off. However, the sample temperature can be always measured and streamed to your computer. This mode can be combined with measurements that are especially sensitive to changes in the electrostatic potential as e.g. AFM measurements.

The SHOCK mode resembles a timed DIRECT mode. For a defined period, a certain heating power will be applied to the sample volume without any feedback loop being active. This allows to exploit the fast heating dynamics of VAHEAT to send heat shocks into your sample.

The PROFILE mode is a sophisticated version of the feedback mode. It allows you to set well-defined heating rates, cooling rates and holding times. This mode is ideal for complex temperature protocols that need to employed to your sample volume to drive e.g. a chemical reaction or a phase transition.

Smart Substrates

The smart substrates replace the conventional cover slips. The integrated heating element with the highly sensitive temperature sensor allows fast and precise temperature control inside the field of view without compromise on the imaging quality. The substrates are designed as multi-use disposable and come in three different options. The heated area is for all options 5 x 5 mm2. The surface facing your sample is glass and can be chemically functionalized.
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SmS
STANDARD RANGE

Dimension: 18x18x0.17 (± 0.05) mm³
Temp. range: RT - 105°C

The standard range smart substrates are optimized for high-resolution studies similar to #1.5 coverslips. They have a size of 18 x 18 mm² and a thickness of 170 µm. We specify their full functionality up to 100 °C with heating powers up to 2.5 W. The flat substrates are ideally suited to integrate a reservoir, study thin films or use an own design of a microfluidic chamber.

SmS-R
STANDARD RANGE WITH RESERVOIR

Dimension: 18x18x0.17 (± 0.05) mm³
Temp. range: RT - 105°C
Volume: 100 - 600 µL

The smart substrates equipped with a reservoir made of silicone are meant for investigating liquid samples of a maximal volume of 600 µL. All materials used are non-cytotoxic and meet the highest standards for live-cell imaging. The SmS-R are suited for micro stage top incubation. Upon request we can provide additional glass slides for sealing the reservoir.

SmS-E
EXTENDED RANGE

Dimension: 18x18x0.5 mm³
Temp. range: RT - 300°C

The extended range smart substrates are made for temperatures up to 300 °C. They are 500 µm thick, similar to #5 coverslips and are compatible with the extended range control unit.

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SmS
STANDARD RANGE

Dimension: 18x18x0.17 (± 0.05) mm³
Temp. range: RT - 105°C

The standard range smart substrates are optimized for high-resolution studies similar to #1.5 coverslips. They have a size of 18 x 18 mm² and a thickness of 170 µm. We specify their full functionality up to 100 °C with heating powers up to 2.5 W. The flat substrates are ideally suited to integrate a reservoir, study thin films or use an own design of a microfluidic chamber.

SmS-R
STANDARD RANGE WITH RESERVOIR

Dimension: 18x18x0.17 (± 0.05) mm³
Temp. range: RT - 105°C
Volume: 100 - 600 µL

TThe smart substrates equipped with a reservoir made of silicone are meant for investigating liquid samples of a maximal volume of 600 µL. All materials used are non-cytotoxic and meet the highest standards for live-cell imaging. The SmS-R are suited for micro stage top incubation. Upon request we can provide additional glass slides for sealing the reservoir.

SmS-E
EXTENDED RANGE

Dimension: 18x18x0.5 mm³
Temp. range: RT - 300°C

The extended range smart substrates are made for temperatures up to 300 °C. They are 500 µm thick, similar to #5 coverslips and are compatible with the extended range control unit.

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Microscope Adapter

The heart of the VAHEAT system are the smart substrates that integrate a transparent thin film heating element with a highly sensitive temperature probe. The smart substrates with a heated area of 5 x 5 mm2 are inserted into the substrate holder that is connected to the control unit. As soon as the connector head establishes the connection between smart substrate and control unit, the temperature is being measured and you can start heating.

The microscope adapter fits into most of the common microscope stages due to its size of 75 mm x 25 mm (3” x 1”). Its slim design with a maximal height of 11 mm allows unrestricted access from above. The microscope adapter is thermally insulated from the heated area and stays at room temperature even for sample temperatures of 300 °C. Simply prepare your sample on the smart substrates, insert it into the microscope adapter and position it onto your translation stage to start your measurement. VAHEAT takes care of precise temperature control.

VAHEAT in microscope adapter

The User Interface​

The platform independent user interface (UI) allows to remotely control the VAHEAT device, program arbitrary temperature profiles and stream temperature data to the local hard disk. You can use it for precise and live control of sample temperature and current heating power. Simply connect the control unit via USB to the computer and start the measurement remotely.

This is what our customers think about VAHEAT

“We use the VAHEAT to bring low molecular weight polymers to temperatures just above their glass transition temperature to study molecular motions and dynamic heterogeneity at the single molecule level in these systems. The fact that the VAHEAT allows us to achieve and maintain the temperature control needed on a coverslip in turn allows us to simultaneously perform imaging with the highest numerical aperture objectives available, maximizing collection of photons and limiting localization error of fluorescent probes. This ability facilitates characterization of translational mobility in these complex systems.”

Prof. Laura Kaufman

Columbia University, New York City

“The instructions and equipment were very clear and intuitive to use. We very much enjoyed the magnets that lock components into place. In use, the temperature changed very rapidly according to the VAHEAT reading, though I allowed some extra time to equilibrate as my material is not very conductive. I need to carry out further analysis, but I am seeing what I expected to see in my results. The biggest advantage was indeed that I didn’t see any thermal drift: I didn’t need to refocus during my experiments, which is fantastic because I wanted to see fluorescence emission intensity in a single controlled plane. Overall, I think very highly of the VAHEAT and it was immensely helpful to me.”

Liz Birchall

University of Nottingham

“VAHEAT allows precise and fast temperature control in our TIRF measurements where we are investigating switchable DNA origami mechanisms.“

Prof. Hendrik Dietz

TU Munich

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“We use the VAHEAT to bring low molecular weight polymers to temperatures just above their glass transition temperature to study molecular motions and dynamic heterogeneity at the single molecule level in these systems. The fact that the VAHEAT allows us to achieve and maintain the temperature control needed on a coverslip in turn allows us to simultaneously perform imaging with the highest numerical aperture objectives available, maximizing collection of photons and limiting localization error of fluorescent probes. This ability facilitates characterization of translational mobility in these complex systems.”

Prof. Laura Kaufman

Columbia University, New York City

“The instructions and equipment were very clear and intuitive to use. We very much enjoyed the magnets that lock components into place. In use, the temperature changed very rapidly according to the VAHEAT reading, though I allowed some extra time to equilibrate as my material is not very conductive. I need to carry out further analysis, but I am seeing what I expected to see in my results. The biggest advantage was indeed that I didn’t see any thermal drift: I didn’t need to refocus during my experiments, which is fantastic because I wanted to see fluorescence emission intensity in a single controlled plane. Overall, I think very highly of the VAHEAT and it was immensely helpful to me.”

Liz Birchall

University of Nottingham

“VAHEAT allows precise and fast temperature control in our TIRF measurements where we are investigating switchable DNA origami mechanisms.“

Prof. Hendrik Dietz

TU Munich

Technical Performance

  • IMAGING QUALITY
  • TEMPERATURE STABILITY
  • HEATING RATES
VAHEAT - optical performance oil

100x, NA=1.46, oil immersion objective

VAHEAT - optical performance air

40x, NA=0.4, air objective

The imaging quality at elevated temperature up to 80°C is not altered using VAHEAT even when working with the highest numerical aperture objectives commercially available. To prove this, we experimentally determined the three-dimensional point spread function for various sample temperatures. The x-y resolution only increases slightly at temperature above 80°C due to increased particle diffusion. An elongation of the focus in z-direction arises with increasing temperature due to the temperature dependence of the immersion oil. This effect strongly depends on the material properties of the immersion medium and can be compensated by considering an effective change of optical path length. For air-spaced objectives the imaging quality is not affected.
The precise temperature probe within the smart substrates combined with a fast response time allows to compensate slow, as well as fast external temperature variation induced by e.g. an air flow or fluid exchange. This way, a precise long term temperature stabilization down to 0.01 °C (rms) over hours to days becomes feasible. Local management of the temperature is also crucial to achieve a high mechanical stability and to avoid any drifts.
VAHEAT - temperature stability

Temperature fluctuations over time

The local heating and feedback mechanism enable well-controlled, fast temperature changes inside the field of view. Heating rates up to 100 °C/s are viable with small heat loads (e.g. thin films) attached. For liquids, heating rates can reach 40 °C/s. The profile mode allows to set heating and cooling rates between 100 °C/s and 0.1 °C/h.
Step-Response-2

Temperature step response

Compatible Imaging Techniques

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM)

Confocal microscopy

Interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT)

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)

Super resolution methods (SIM, STORM, PALM, PAINT, STED)

Widefield microscopy

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM)​

Confocal microscopy

Interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT)

Atomic force microscopy (AFM)

Super resolution methods (SIM, STORM, PALM, PAINT, STED)

Widefield microscopy

Application Examples​

  • LIVE CELL IMAGING
  • DNA
  • MICROFLUIDICS
  • PHASE TRANSITIONS
  • NEUROSCIENCE
  • AFM

Living organisms are highly sensitive to changes in their environmental conditions, especially to temperature. VAHEAT ensures reliable and precise temperature control while transfer and during imaging. Investigating temperature sensitive processes of cellular behavior, such as Ca2+ activity in multicellular tumor spheroids or thermal stimulation of neurons has never been this easy.

Exploit VAHEAT ‘s capabilities as micro stage top incubator.

CAtegories:

Cell Biology | Neuroscience | Medicine | Stage Top Incubator

The melting point of double stranded DNA can range between 60°C and 90°C depending on the sequence and strand length. Observation of DNA dynamics close or even above to the melting point using a high-resolution microscope were so far not possible with conventional heating stages. VAHEAT offers the unique possibility to study DNA and its association and dissociation behavior optically.

CAtegories:

Physics | Molecular Motors | Sequencing
VAHEAT is intrinsically compatible with microfluidics. A microfluidic chamber such as a PDMS mold can be directly mounted on the smart substrates with the integrated temperature probe. This way, the temperature of the injected liquid can be directly measured and adjusted. Due to the fast thermal response of the system in-situ mixing of different, not temperature controlled liquids becomes possible without expensive and bulky equipment.

CAtegories:

Nanotechnology | Biochemistry | Biotechnology

Diffusion of single nanoparticles in complex environments such as lipid membranes is highly sensitive to temperature. Reliable temperature control and precise readout is a key element for quantitative studies. The temperature probe integrated into the smart substrates not only ensures reliable measurements conditions but is even capable of sensing phase transition in thin layers.

CAtegories:

Crystallization and Nucleation | Phase Transition | Melting Point Analysis
Cellular function as well as inter-cellular communication depend on temperature. Especially neuroscientific experiments critically rely on precise and accurate control of the environmental conditions, examples include studies on the synaptic function, its plasticity or the propagation of action potentials. Here, VAHEAT provides an excellent solution to perform fluorescence based or even patch-clamp experiments at user defined temperatures without the need of bulky incubation chambers.

CAtegories:

Live Cell Imaging | Medicine | Neuroscience
VAHEAT - neurons
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is not only highly sensitive to small thermal drifts or vibrations but also to slight changes in the electric potential close to the cantilever. VAHEAT complies with these high requirements for temperature control. The local heating mechanism avoids any thermal drifts or fluctuations while the all-analogue electronic circuit design reduces electronic noise to a minimum. The mode DIRECT was implemented to further reduce the electronic noise in the sample volume and to allow high-precision AFM measurements.

CAtegories:

Material Science | Live-Cell Imaging | Surface Topology

Videos

VAHEAT - NHDF live cells

VAHWAT as stage top incubator for live cell imaging

Long-term live cell imaging of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NDHF) that are stained with SIR-tubulin. The cells are incubated using only a Smart Substrate with Reservoir (SmS-R) and are continuously imaged for more than 18 hrs. No need for large incubation  chambers, objectives heater or prior setup calibration!

VAHEAT - live cells heat shock

Heat shock of live cells

Human dermal fibroblasts (NDHF) that are stained with SIR-tubulin are held at 37 °C using VAHEAT as a stage top incubator. The sample volume is continuously imaged while sending heat shocks of 45°C for 30 s and 55°C for 30 s into the sample that result in cell death. The imaging quality is maintained during and the sample position is not shifted.

Web Seminar VAHEAT

Web seminar on temperature control in high-resolution microscopy

Watch our web seminar recorded on 18 th November 2020. Invited speakers are Mart Krupovics (Institut Pasteur, Paris) and Phillip Tripal (Optical Imaging Center, Erlangen).

VAHEAT - Crystallization control

Steering a crystallization process

A small crystal of Phenyl 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoate is imaged with a upright microscope while the temperature is being adjusted using VAHEAT.

VAHEAT in action

Temperature control with VAHEAT

Inverted microscope with oil immersion objective is equipped with a VAHEAT system. Only the smart substrate is temperature controlled (no objective heater). The infrared camera shows a homogeneous temperature distribution inside the heated area although the objective is in thermal contact with the smart substrate.

FAQs

Content

The VAHEAT system consists of five parts: The control unit, the microscope adapter, the probe head, the smart substrates, and the remote software (optionally).
Our smart substrates will replace your conventionally used cover slips. The smart substrates are special coverslips equipped with a heating element and a highly sensitive temperature probe. As they incorporate a sensor, we call them smart substrate.
VAHEAT controls the temperature of your sample volume (a few hundred microliter) locally with a highly sensitive feedback. This minimizes the overall heat load injected into your optical setup and simultaneously allows you to track and control the temperature in your FOV without worrying about temperature gradients or thermal drift. Our system is specifically designed for high- and super-resolution applications.
The microscope adapter has two detachable parts: The 75 x 25 mm sized plate and the magnetically attached connector with the cable connecting both parts with the control box. The smart substrates can be inserted or changed after detaching the connector from the plate.
Our customers include imaging facilities, independent research groups and industrial research departments studying live cells, biophysical systems, thin films, drugs and polymers. Have a look at our references to see what people think of VAHEAT. Also check out our application examples to get a better idea.
No! We specifically designed our system to be highly compact, versatile and simple to use. Do not worry about the temperature. Concentrate on you experiment!
The smart substrates are 18 x 18 mm2 and either 170 μm (standard range) or 500 μm (extended range) thick. The standard range smart substrates are optimized for high-resolution studies as #1.5 coverslips.
The VAHEAT system is available in two versions: The standard range version covering temperatures between room temperature and 100 °C. The extended range option covering temperatures of up to 300 °C.

The standard range version can issue heating powers up to 2.5 W and is working with smart substrates of 170 μm thickness (#1.5H) as required for high NA immersion microscope objectives. The high-temperature version can be operated with smart substrates of 500 μm thickness (#5) while allowing heating powers of up to 5.0 W.

Yes! You can operate the extended range VAHEAT system the same way as the standard range version. The standard range smart substrates should, however, not be operated above 100 °C as we cannot ensure their correct functionality at temperature above 100 °C. We strongly recommend using the appropriate extended range smart substrates for high temperatures.
The heated area is 5 x 5 mm2 in size. The heating element is made of a transparent, conductive material.
Yes! Due a specific combination of heat conductivities and direct temperature feedback from the sample volume the temperature can be precisely adjusted even if your objective touches the cover slip or if the temperature in your environment changes.
For thin films deposited on the VAHEAT smart substrates the heating rates can be as fast as 100 °C per second. For liquids, the heating is as fast as 40 °C per second.
You can arbitrarily adjust the heating rate. It will mostly depend on your temperature stability. Heating rates as low as 0.1 °C/h are programmable.
Currently, the VAHEAT system does not come with active cooling. However, cooling can be as fast as heating depending on attached heat loads and temperature difference between surrounding and sample volume. When investigating thin films, cooling rates can reach up to 40 °C/s.
The temperature on the smart substrates is controlled via an active feedback loop between the heating element and the sensor in your FOV. The temperature can be kept constant for hours to days with a precision of up to 0.01 °C (rms). You can also request high precision smart substrates with an absolute temperature accuracy of 0.1 °C.
No! VAHEAT was designed as a standalone device. No additional components are needed for temperature control. The integrated smart feedback system detects any small change in temperature and compensates for it within seconds.
Yes! The VAHEAT control unit with all of its functionality can be controlled by an optional software available for Windows, MacOS and Linux. The software allows you to design temperature profiles or stream temperature data to your local computer.
Yes! The microscope adapter of the VAHEAT system was designed to fit into any standard microscope slide holder as present in most microscopes independent of the manufacturer.
Yes! The smart substrates have dimensions of conventional coverslips with a thickness of 170 μm (#1.5 H) optimized for high resolution studies. The heating element integrated in the smart substrate is transparent with a transmission of more than 90 % in the visible spectrum. The substrate holder allows to come as close as necessary with high-NA immersion objectives.
Yes! The substrates have a size of 18×18 mm2 and a region of 16×18 mm2 is accessible from above. The microscope adapter has a thickness of 2.5 mm. For large liquid dipping objectives custom solutions might be necessary. We are happy to assist!

Yes! VAHEAT is compatible with vacuum chambers. You might require a specific cable feedthrough but there will be no outgassing when operating VAHEAT inside a vacuum chamber. Contact us if you need more information.

Yes! We specifically designed VAHEAT
for high- and super-resolution microscopy. The smart substrates have a thickness of 170 μm and are thus compatible with almost any commercially available high Numerical Aperture (NA) objective needed for super- resolution microscopy.
The conventional thermal problems that arise in super-resolution microscopy when working at elevated temperature are fully avoided when working with VAHEAT. We also measured the optical performance with a high NA objective as function of temperature. You can check out the data here.
You cannot believe this? Get a demo system and test it yourself!

Not at all. VAHEAT does not change your angle of incidence since the heat load injected into your optical system is kept minimal. Put into simple words: you only heat your sample. This way the optical performance of your imaging system is only minimally affected by temperature changes. This is different in conventional stage incubators: These devices require the objective to be heated. This induces stress and tension on the optics worsening the optical performance.

From internal measurements we can conclude that the sample heating has no effect on the image quality and therefore on the point spread function (PSF) for temperatures between room temperature and 100 °C.

The refractive index of the glass substrate is n=1.52 at 500 nm wavelength.
We tested VAHEAT in combination with high NA objectives (NA>1.4) and immersion oil up to 100 °C. We do not recommend going above this temperature as your objective might get damaged and the immersion oil can start to decompose.
The lifetime of the smart substrates depends on handling as they are fragile elements. Make sure to handle your substrate with care. This will prolong their lifetime. Typically, you can clean and reuse your substrates 2-4 times.
You can clean the smart substrates with organic solvents such as Ethanol, Isopropanol or Acetone. You can also use pH neutral detergents (e.g. Extran or Hellmanex). The smart substrates withstand ultrasonic cleaning as well as oxygen plasma treatment. Please avoid strong acids or bases. The substrates should not be in contact with the cleaning agent for more than 30 min.
Yes! They can be cleaned the same way as the planar smart substrates. In addition to that, you can use acids or bases to clean the reservoir volume (e.g. 5% HCl).
No! Please avoid putting the smart substrates into your autoclave. Instead you can use oxygen plasma treatment, gamma-ray sterilization or simply use ethanol or isopropanol to eliminate contaminations.
Yes! The surface facing the sample volume is glass only. You can chemically functionalize this surface the way you are used to functionalize your cover slips.
Yes! The reservoir can be covered by a small glass slide available upon request.
Yes! The upper surface of the substrate is simply glass. The reservoirs are made of silicone that is widely used in microfluidics and well known to be biocompatible.
The reservoir covers approx. 600 μL.
The lead times are two to four weeks after receiving the purchase order.

Yes! We offer a five-week test period. Reach out to us!

The microscope adapter can be cleaned the same way as the smart substrates.