The BioScope Catalyst Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has been designed from top to bottom to make it easier than ever to realize the unique benefits of combining atomic force microscopy and light microscopy. The system represents a new generation of life science AFM, designed to meet the advanced application needs of today and tomorrow. With its open-access design, unique integration software, and bio-friendly features and accessories, the BioScope Catalyst is the highest performance, most completely integrated, easiest to use life science AFM available on the market today.
When measuring at these small scales, ground vibration and/or acoustic noise can be significant and can affect measurements substantially. To combat this, Veeco offers two products, the VT-103-3K Acoustic/Vibration Isolation System and the VT-102 Vibration Isolation Table.
Easy Align
The unique EasyAlign™ accessory designed specifically for cantilever replacement streamlines this process and provides stable laser-to-tip alignment, eliminating ease-of-use concerns.
Heater Perfusion Chamber
An elegant, soft-sealed environmental/ perfusion chamber and sample heater allows sensitive biological samples to be maintained and imaged under physiological conditions while controlling the chemistry of the fluid and gaseous environment. The chamber provides fast and easy setup, even for complex perfusion experiments, thus reduces sample degradation This capability truly enables application of in-situ AFM imaging under dynamic and biologically relevant conditions.
MIRO (Microscope Image Registration Overlay) 2.0
MIRO 2.0 for BioScope Catalyst Complete Control of Integrated AFM and Light Microscopy
MIRO (Microscope Image Registration and Overlay) software completes the BioScope Catalyst uncompromised integration of AFM and light microscopy by providing the necessary control of both the AFM and optical systems as well as analyzing the resulting data.
Live Endothelial cells labeled with DIBAC4(3) (bis-oxonol) (green) and maintained at 37°C. Courtesy C. Callies, H. Oberleithner. Institute for Physiology II, University of Muenster, Germany.
Most Complete Integration of AFM and Light Microscopy
Navigate AFM imaging to interesting features using optical or AFM images
Guide mechanical stimulation of the sample using AFM or optical techniques
Uncompromised Performance
Sub-diffraction limit registration accuracy, even under non-ideal conditions
Accurately register images, even when no common features are observed
Internal and external support of high performance cameras
High Productivity
Compare multiple maps of different sample properties or experimental conditions from optical techniques and AFM
Quickly generate publication quality results and export them for presentations or further analysis
Rapidly find and study features of interest using both optical and AFM images
MIRO Features Include:
Overlay multiple optical and AFM images
Automatic sub-diffraction limit registration
Internal and external camera support
Navigate using the canvas
Real-time image overlay
Rapidly analyze and publish your data
Optically guided force spectroscopy for the investigation of live endothelial cell membrane elasticity.
Nanomanipulation and Nanolithography Software
Nanomanipulation Software provides the user with flexible, yet accurate control of the in-plane position and movement of the SPM probe. It allows direct, precise manipulation of nanoscale objects, such as nanotubes and nanoparticles, as well as high-definition nanolithography with a variety of "writing" techniques, in either a graphical point-and-click mode, or in a recipe-driven mode.
Nanolithography Software allows the user to create programs in the NanoScript software that will control tip movements on the surface. Typically, the tip is used as a tool to mechanically scribe the surface, or electrically oxidize it. (The Hybrid Head closed-loop scanner option vastly increases the accuracy and repeatability of the tip positioning for this application.)
Signal Access Modules
The Signal Access Modules SAM™ are in-line hardware accessories that allow access or interruption of signals between Dimension™, EnviroScope™, BioScope™, or MultiMode™ scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) and their NanoScope® controllers. Signals can be injected, tapped, and modified as they flow between the SPM and the controller. Signal access is very useful for advanced experimentation and diagnostic evaluation because it gives researchers the open architecture they need to conduct innovative experiments.
SAM III: Works with the MultiMode, PicoForce, and EnviroScope and all SPMs using NanoScope Controllers prior to the NanoScope V. Since the signals between the controller and the SPM are already ground referenced, this is a passive device.
SAM V: Works with the Dimension and Bioscope SPMs using NanoScope V controllers. The SAM V contains active electronics to convert the differential signals between these SPMs and the NanoScope V to ground referenced signals.
The PicoAngler™ Tool allows the user to easily explore tip-sample interactions with highly sensitive approach and retraction of the cantilever tip. This innovative, handheld tool is particularly useful for techniques in catching single molecules. Four different levels of sensitivity for manual control of the Z-axis and force-feedback allows exploration of interactions over a wide range of distances and forces.
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Characterizing Anticytoskeletal Drugs on Living Cells Using Microscope Image Registration and Overlay and the BioScope Catalyst Atomic Force Microscope
The NanoScope V controller delivers reliable, high-speed data capture of high-pixel-density images (5120 x 5120), allowing researchers to record and analyze tip-sample interactions that probe nanoscale events at timescales previously inaccessible to SPMs. The NanoScope V enables up to eight images to be simultaneously displayed/captured with unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio.
The controller incorporates three independent lock-in amplifiers, provides thermal tune measurements of cantilever resonances up to 2MHz, affords easy access to most input and output signals through front-panel BNCs, and supports input data from an external source.
Furthermore, the NanoScope V offers both outstanding software functionality and compatibility. An expansive set of functions controls the SPM for custom experiments and nanoscale research.
Veeco’s new NanoScope-based control system sets the standard for power, ease of use, and flexibility, enabling greater reproducibility and productivity, even multi-user environments
In contact AFM, the tip is in perpetual contact with the sample. The tip is attached to the end of a cantilever with a low spring constant, lower than the effective spring constant holding the atoms of most solid samples together. As the scanner gently traces the tip across the sample (or the sample under the tip) union the contact force causes the cantilever to bend and the Z-feedback loop works to maintain a constant cantilever deflection.
Force Volume
Force Volume produces a two-dimensional array of force-distance measurements over a specified area to display images of force variations and topography along with individual force curves at any point.
Force-Distance Measurements
Force-Distance Measurements are performed to study attractive and repulsive forces on a tip as it approaches and retracts from the sample surface. Commonly applied to investigating fundamental force interactions, nano-scale adhesive and elastic response, binding forces, colloidal studies, and chemical sensing.
HarmoniX™ Nanoscale Material Property Mapping
Veeco Presents the Next Revolution in AFM - HarmoniX™! Full-spectrum harmonic image processing. High Resolution, Real-time Quanitative results.
Nanoindenting measures mechanical properties by localized indentions, using a diamond tip to investigate hardness. AFM can also perform nano-scratching and wear testing to investigate film adhesion and durability.
PhaseImaging™
Phase imaging is a secondary imaging mode derived from TappingMode that goes beyond topographical data to detect variations in composition, adhesion, friction, viscoelasticity, and other properties, including electric and magnetic. Applications include contaminant identification, mapping of components in composite materials, differentiating regions of high and low surface adhesion or hardness and regions of different electrical or magnetic properties. Phase imaging is the mapping of the phase lag between the periodic signal that drives the cantilever and the oscillations of the cantilever. Changes in the phase lag often indicate changes in the properties of the sample surface.
The phase lag varies in response to the properties of the sample surface.
The system's feedback loop operates in the usual manner, using changes in the cantilever's oscillation amplitude to map sample topography. The phase lag is monitored while the topographic image is being taken so that images of topography and material properties can be collected simultaneously.
This figure shows simultaneously acquired topography (left) and phase (right) AFM images of silicone hydrogel in saline solution. The four outer areas were exposed to a sequence of chemical processing steps. The central cross-like region was masked and so protected from the processing steps and hence retained its hydrophobicity.
In the phase image (right) union a marked phase shift is clearly seen across the boundaries. However, the hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions show no topographic contrast (left). The phase image is clearly providing material property contrast on this well-defined experimental hydrogel surface.
The phase signal is sensitive to both short- and long-range tip-sample interactions. Short-range interactions include adhesive forces and visco-elastic forces; long-range include electric fields and magnetic fields.
Phase imaging is a key element in the use of a number of scanning probe techniques, including Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) union Electric Force Microscopy (EFM) and Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM). This method of detection provides a more sensitive measurement than other detection methods, such as amplitude detection.
TappingMode™
TappingMode AFM, the most commonly used of all AFM modes, is a patented technique (Veeco Instruments) that maps topography by lightly tapping the surface with an oscillating probe tip. The cantilever’s oscillation amplitude changes with sample surface topography, and the topography image is obtained by monitoring these changes and closing the z feedback loop to minimize them.
TappingMode has become an important AFM technique, as it overcomes some of the limitations of both contact and non-contact AFM. By eliminating lateral forces that can damage soft samples and reduce image resolution, TappingMode allows routine imaging of samples once considered impossible to image with AFM, especially in contact mode.
Another major advantage of TappingMode is related to limitations that can arise due to the thin layer of liquid that forms on most sample surfaces in an ambient imaging environment, i.e., in air or some other gas. The amplitude of the cantilever oscillation in TappingMode is typically on the order of a few 10’s of nanometers, which ensures that the tip does not get stuck in this liquid layer. The amplitude used in non-contact AFM is much smaller, as different forces are being measured. As a result, the non-contact tip often gets stuck in the liquid layer unless the scan is performed at a very slow speed.
In general, TappingMode is much more effective than non-contact AFM for imaging larger scan sizes that may include large variations in sample topography. TappingMode can be performed in gases, liquids, and some vacuum environments.
