Q: Is a laser absolutely required in order to perform localized point photolysis (uncaging?)
A: Uncaging is a function of the Power vs. Time required to deliver the energy needed to uncage a molecule. Since a laser can deliver concentrated amounts of energy of a specific wavelength in the shortest time frame with the fastest on/off switching, it may be the best option if high speed uncaging is desired. Furthermore, if a spot size of 5 microns or less is desired, a laser is clearly the light source of choice as it is not possible to focus the image of a mercury (or xenon) lamp down to this size while preserving its energy. So if short exposure times and highly localized spatial control are of interest, then YES a laser is the best solution.

Q: Can I use a laser to uncage the entire field of view or a large area simultaneously?
A: No. Since the power delivered to the specimen decreases as the radius² of the illumination spot, there is simply not enough energy from any of the commonly available lasers once their beams have been expanded to fill a large area.

Q: Can I add a photolysis rig to my existing microscope?
A: Our moving spot Single Path Photolysis head is compatible with most upright light microscopes that allow placement of the unit below the epi-fluorescence illuminator and above the objective lens. The Laser Point Module is compatible with virtually all current microscopes equipped with standard epi-fluorescence.

Q: Can I use a single high speed Ti: Sapphire laser for multiple two photon scanners?
A: Yes. In fact, it is more and more common for researchers to place two Ultima systems on a single table with either one or two lasers shared between them. This is a good way to maximize the investment in lasers by allowing two independent experiments to be conducted simultaneously.

Q: I have an old Noran Oz confocal microscope that needs repair. What can you do for me?
A: We offer field or factory service by highly trained engineers for repairs of Noran Oz confocal microscopes. Due to the age of the product, however, many spare parts are simply unavailable, particularly electronics. For such circumstances and to better service these microscopes, Prairie has developed an upgrade for the system that replaces the main electronics chassis and the Silicon Graphics computer with a very high performance PC running Windows XP. The upgraded systems use commercially available high-speed electronics to control the Oz and to collect the signal from the PMTs. 12-bit data collection, multiple live image window display from each PMT with independent LUT control, and the ability to overlap PMT signals in user selectable colors are just a few of the many improvements this upgrade offers.