Regio Noord-Holland | RCM-Condor: parallel multi-spectrum acquisition microscope module

Confocal.nl is a young company promoting sustainability and circular economy. Our product, RCM (Re-scan confocal microscope) is an upgrade module to turn fluorescent microscopes into confocal microscopes with 4x higher sensitivity, and 40% better resolution than conventional confocal microscopes. Such upgrade has better performance than completely new system, allowing reuse of many old microscopes. Confocal systems, also our re-scan confocal module are slow - taking one multicolor 3D image can take several minutes or longer. Need for faster speed is currently the main reason of potential customers not to purchase RCM. Increasingly important is a wide imaging spectrum, spanning visible and infra-red wavelengths. With more infra-red dyes on the market, the need for microscopes equipped with suitable lasers and detection possibilities is also growing. An RCM equipped with a 5-channel multi-spectrum Condor camera, a product combination developed in this project, would address the market demand for speed (up to 5x improvement) and simultaneously be compatible with visible and near infra-red spectrum. Such product will be very attractive for research and molecular diagnostics, but also generate a tool for pathology labs assisting surgeons: the same stainings, performed in patient can be used to check biopsy material during operation. Notably, the camera is.currently in use for image guided operations.