Technology for Polarization Measurement

Exicor® MicroImagerTM

The Hinds Birefringence Imaging Microscope is ideal for measuring birefringence in biological structures (see Figure 1 below), glass, crystals, and many other organic and inorganic samples.

Features:

Exicor MicroImager
• No Dyes or Fluorescent labels required
• Measures retardation, angle and intensity
• Images retardation, angle and intensity
• Allows color maps to be customized by user for optimal display of data
• Allows maximum, average, and standard deviation over entire image and in user-selected areas or lines
• View data by intensity, birefringence/retardation, angle, or combination
• Histograms for statistical analysis
• User calibration
• Export of data in .csv and binary formats
• Export of data from user selected areas
• Export images in bit, png or tiff formats
• Compatability with third party analysis tool, ImageJ

Phase unwrapping technology is now included with every MicroImager.

→ For highly birefringent samples, the Exicor® MicroImagerTM has the ability to measure up to 3500nm with 4 color configuration and up to 2400nm with 3 color configuration.

 

 

2X Mouse Brain jet rev1-24-2017

Plastic sheet with ding_2X

 

Figures 1 & 2. Birefringence images, left to right: myelinated white matter in a mouse brain; damaged plastic sheet.


Diamond Sample MicroImager
Acrylic bond with optic

 

Figures 3 & 4. Birefringence images, left to right: stress measured in diamond sample; acrylic bonded to an optic.

 

SPECIFICATIONS

Retardation Repeatability1 ≤ 0.5 nm (3 sigma)
Light Source Wavelengths Red
Orange
Green
Blue
Retardation Measurement Range 2 nm - 0.5λ (1 Color)
Phase Unwrapping to 3500 nm
Measurement Speed3 Nominal 15 sec
Dimensions                 Footprint 36.1 cm x 26.5 cm
                              Height 77.1 cm
Stage Travel (x, y) 75 mm, 56 mm

 

RESOLUTION AND FIELD OF VIEW

 Imager Resolution 2464 px x 2056 px
Bit-Depth 12 bits
 Objective3 Resolution, µm Field of View, mm
2X  2 4.941 x 4.123
5X  0.74 1.83 x 1.53
10X  0.36  0.876 x 0.731
20X4  0.18 0.437 x 0.364

 

FURTHER READING:

J. J. Cardiel, Y. Zhao, P. de la Iglesia, L. D. Pozzo and A. Q. Shen, Soft Matter, 2014, DOI: 10.1039/C4SM01920B.

Formation of crystal-like structures and branched networks from nonionic spherical micelles, Joshua J. Cardiel, Hirotoshi Furusho, Ulf Skoglund & Amy Q. Shen, Scientific Reports, 5:17491, 2015. 

Elastic instabilities in planar elongational flow of monodisperse polymer solutions, Simon J. Haward, Gareth H. McKinley & Amy Q. Shen, Scientific Reports, 6: 33029, 2016. 

Polarized light imaging in biomedicine: emerging Mueller matrix methodologies for bulk tissue assessment, Sanaz Alali, I. Alex Vitkin, J. of Biomedical Optics, 20(6), 061104(2015). 

Formation and flow behavior of micellar membranes in a T-shaped microchannel, Joshua J. Cardiel, Daisuke Takagi, Hsieh-Fu Tsai and Amy Q. Shen, Soft Matter, Issue 39, 2016

Relaxation time of dilute polymer solutions: A microfluidic approach, Francesco Del Giudice, Simon J. Haward, and Amy Q. Shen, Journal of Rheology 61, 327 (2017)

Turning up the heat on wormlike micelles with a hydrotopic salt in microfluidics, Joshua J. Cardiel, Ya Zhao, Pablo De La Iglesia, Lilo D. Pozzo, Amy Q. Shen, Soft Matter, Issue 46, 2017

Steady viscoelastic flow around high-aspect-ration, low-blockage-ration microfluidic cylinders, Simon J. Haward, Kazumi Toda-Peters, Amy Q. Shen, Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, Vol 254, 2018, 23-35

 

Contact us for more information about the Exicor® MicroImagerTM.