Manual XY Microscopy Stages for DIY Cerna® Systems


  • Arm Attaches Olympus U-SV Line XY Stages to a Cerna® Microscope
  • Stage Provides 80 mm x 54 mm of Manual Adjustment in X and Y
  • Stage Accepts Slide Holder or Alternate U-H Line Sample Holders

CSA1051

Cerna Stage Adapter Arm

CSS2000

Olympus U-H Slide Holder

CSS2001

Olympus U-SV Manual XY Stage

Microscopy stage assembly attached to a Cerna microscope body.

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The adapter arm attaches to a Cerna® microscope body via two 4 mm hex screws.

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A female D1Y dovetail on the underside of the stage mounts the stage onto the adapter arm.

Features

  • Stage Adapter Arm for Cerna® Systems
    • Holds Any Olympus U-SV Line XY Stage at 7.74" Cerna Microscope Throat Depth
    • 95 mm Dovetail Clamp Compatible with Cerna Microscope Bodies
  • Manual Stage Allows Independent Translation of 80 mm (3.1") in X and 54 mm (2.1") in Y
  • Stage Compatible with Slide Holder or Any Olympus U-H Line Sample Holders

To provide Olympus stage and sample holder compatibility with the Cerna microscopy platform, Thorlabs offers a microscopy stage adapter arm as well as a manual XY microscopy stage and slide holder.

The CSA1051 Stage Adapter Arm is specifically designed with a D1Y male dovetail mount for either the CSS2001 Manual XY Stage or any Olympus U-SV line XY stage (see the Microscope Dovetails tab as well as the image to the right for further details). A thumbscrew on the front of the microscopy stage allows it to be secured to the dovetail on the adapter arm (see the photo to the right). The female linear dovetail on the adapter arm then securely mounts to either a Cerna microscope body or any 95 mm rail (see far right photo).

The CSS2001 manual XY microscopy stage is both stable and easy to use, smoothly providing 80 mm (3.1") of translation along the X axis and 54 mm (2.1") of translation along the Y axis without obstruction. A Vernier scale with 100 μm resolution alongside each axis provides high precision sample positioning. Knobs below the stage provide independent X and Y movement: the entire top plate of the stage translates in the Y direction (front-to-back), while only the thumb screws used to secure a sample holder translate in the X direction (side-to-side).

The manual microscopy stage is compatible with either the CSS2000 slide holder or other Olympus U-H line sample holders. The slide holder holds standard microscope slides and is secured to the stage using two thumb screws behind the X axis scale.

For applications that require bidirectional repeatability, please see our XY motorized scanning microscopy stage.

Thorlabs Dovetail Referencea
Type Shape Outer Dimension Angle
95 mm Linear 95 mm 45°
D1N Circular Ø2.018" 60°
D2Nb Circular Ø1.50" 90°
D2NBb Circular Ø1.50" 90°
D3N Circular Ø45 mm 70°
D5N Circular Ø1.58" 90°
D6N Circular Ø1.90" 90°
D7N Circular Ø2.05" 90°
D1T Circular Ø1.50" 60°
D3T Circular Ø1.65" 90°
D1Y Circular Ø107 mm 60°
D2Y Circular Ø2.32" 50°
D3Y Circular Ø1.75" 90°
D4Y Circular Ø56 mm 60°
D5Y Circular Ø46 mm 60°
D6Y Circular Ø41.9 mm 45°
D1Z Circular Ø54 mm 60°
D2Z Circular Ø57 mm 60°
D3Z Circular Ø54 mm 45°
  • These dovetail designations are specific to Thorlabs products and are not used by other microscope manufacturers.
  • D2N and D2NB dovetails have the same outer diameter and angle, as defined by the drawings below. The D2N designation does not specify a height. The D2NB designation specifies a dovetail height of 0.40" (10.2 mm).
Mating Circular Dovetails
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This photo shows the male D1N dovetail on the trinoculars next to the female D1N dovetail on the epi-illumination arm.
Mating Linear Dovetails
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This photo shows the male 95 mm dovetail on the microscope body and the female 95 mm dovetail on the CSA1002 Fixed Arm.

Introduction to Microscope Dovetails

Dovetails are used for mechanical mating and optical port alignment of microscope components. Components are connected by inserting one dovetail into another, then tightening one or more locking setscrews on the female dovetail. Dovetails come in two shapes: linear and circular. Linear dovetails allow the mating components to slide before being locked down, providing flexible positioning options while limiting unneeded degrees of freedom. Circular dovetails align optical ports on different components, maintaining a single optical axis with minimal user intervention.

Thorlabs manufactures many components which use dovetails to mate with our own components or those of other manufacturers. To make it easier to identify dovetail compatibility, we have developed a set of dovetail designations. The naming convention of these designations is used only by Thorlabs and not other microscope manufacturers. The table to the right lists all the dovetails Thorlabs makes, along with their key dimensions.

In the case of Thorlabs’ Cerna® microscopes, different dovetail types are used on different sections of the microscope to ensure that only compatible components can be mated. For example, our WFA2002 Epi-Illuminator Module has a male D1N dovetail that mates with the female D1N dovetail on the microscope body's epi-illumination arm, while the CSS2001 XY Microscopy Stage has a female D1Y dovetail that mates with the male D1Y dovetail on the CSA1051 Mounting Arm.

To learn which dovetail type(s) are on a particular component, consult its mechanical drawing, available by clicking on the red Docs icon (Docs Icon) below. For adapters with a female dovetail, the drawing also indicates the size of the hex key needed for the locking setscrew(s). It is important to note that mechanical compatibility does not ensure optical compatibility. Information on optical compatibility is available from Thorlabs' web presentations.

For customers interested in machining their own dovetails, the table to the right gives the outer diameter and angle (as defined by the drawings below) of each Thorlabs dovetail designation. However, the dovetail's height must be determined by the user, and for circular dovetails, the user must also determine the inner diameter and bore diameter. These quantities can vary for dovetails of the same type. One can use the intended mating part to verify compatibility.

In order to reduce wear and simplify connections, dovetails are often machined with chamfers, recesses, and other mechanical features. Some examples of these variations are shown by the drawings below.

Male Microscope Dovetails
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Two examples of how circular male dovetails can be manufactured.
Female Microscope Dovetails
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Two examples of how circular female dovetails can be manufactured.

Building a Cerna® Microscope

The Cerna microscopy platform's large working volume and system of dovetails make it straightforward to connect and position the components of the microscope. This flexibility enables simple and stable set up of a preconfigured microscope, and provides easy paths for later upgrades and modification. See below for a couple examples of the assembly of some DIY Cerna microscopes.

DIY Cerna Design and Assembly


Walkthrough of a DIY Microscope Configuration
This DIY microscope uses a CSA3000(/M) Breadboard Top, a CSA2001 Dovetail Adapter, our CSA1001 and CSA1002 Fixed Arms, and other body attachments and extensions. These components provide interfaces to our lens tube and cage construction systems, allowing the rig to incorporate two independent trans-illumination modules, a home-built epi-illumination path, and a custom sample viewing optical path.
DIY Microscope Configuration Assembly
The simplicity of Thorlabs optomechanical interfaces allows a custom DIY microscope to be quickly assembled and reconfigured for custom imaging applications.

Posted Comments:
cbrideau  (posted 2016-11-23 20:31:39.823)
There should be a convenient way to attach the CSS2001 to the Cerna Mini to provide a non-motorized XY option for budget builds.
tfrisch  (posted 2016-11-28 11:48:15.0)
Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. The sample is most often placed on a separate post for the Cerna Mini applications, so you may be able to use our standard 95mm rails for a budget solution to mount the CSS2001.

Click on the different parts of the microscope to explore their functions.

Explore the Cerna MicroscopeSample Viewing/RecordingSample MountingIllumination SourcesIllumination SourcesObjectives and MountingEpi-IlluminationEpi-IlluminationTrans-IlluminationMicroscope BodyMicroscope BodyMicroscope BodyMicroscope Body

Elements of a Microscope

This overview was developed to provide a general understanding of a Cerna® microscope. Click on the different portions of the microscope graphic to the right or use the links below to learn how a Cerna microscope visualizes a sample.

 

Terminology

Arm: Holds components in the optical path of the microscope.

Bayonet Mount: A form of mechanical attachment with tabs on the male end that fit into L-shaped slots on the female end.

Bellows: A tube with accordion-shaped rubber sides for a flexible, light-tight extension between the microscope body and the objective.

Breadboard: A flat structure with regularly spaced tapped holes for DIY construction.

Dovetail: A form of mechanical attachment for many microscopy components. A linear dovetail allows flexible positioning along one dimension before being locked down, while a circular dovetail secures the component in one position. See the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for details.

Epi-Illumination: Illumination on the same side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Epi-fluorescence, reflected light, and confocal microscopy are some examples of imaging modalities that utilize epi-illumination.

Filter Cube: A cube that holds filters and other optical elements at the correct orientations for microscopy. For example, filter cubes are essential for fluorescence microscopy and reflected light microscopy.

Köhler Illumination: A method of illumination that utilizes various optical elements to defocus and flatten the intensity of light across the field of view in the sample plane. A condenser and light collimator are necessary for this technique.

Nosepiece: A type of arm used to hold the microscope objective in the optical path of the microscope.

Optical Path: The path light follows through the microscope.

Rail Height: The height of the support rail of the microscope body.

Throat Depth: The distance from the vertical portion of the optical path to the edge of the support rail of the microscope body. The size of the throat depth, along with the working height, determine the working space available for microscopy.

Trans-Illumination: Illumination on the opposite side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), Dodt gradient contrast, and darkfield microscopy are some examples of imaging modalities that utilize trans-illumination.

Working Height: The height of the support rail of the microscope body plus the height of the base. The size of the working height, along with the throat depth, determine the working space available for microscopy.

 

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Cerna Microscope Body
Body Height Comparison
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Body Details

Microscope Body

The microscope body provides the foundation of any Cerna microscope. The support rail utilizes 95 mm rails machined to a high angular tolerance to ensure an aligned optical path and perpendicularity with the optical table. The support rail height chosen (350 - 600 mm) determines the vertical range available for experiments and microscopy components. The 7.74" throat depth, or distance from the optical path to the support rail, provides a large working space for experiments. Components attach to the body by way of either a linear dovetail on the support rail, or a circular dovetail on the epi-illumination arm (on certain models). Please see the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for further details.

 

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Illumination with a Cerna microscope can come from above (yellow) or below (orange). Illumination sources (green) attach to either.

Illumination

Using the Cerna microscope body, a sample can be illuminated in two directions: from above (epi-illumination, see yellow components to the right) or from below (trans-illumination, see orange components to the right).

Epi-illumination illuminates on the same side of the sample as the viewing apparatus; therefore, the light from the illumination source (green) and the light from the sample plane share a portion of the optical path. It is used in fluorescence, confocal, and reflected light microscopy. Epi-illumination modules, which direct and condition light along the optical path, are attached to the epi-illumination arm of the microscope body via a circular D1N dovetail (see the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for details). Multiple epi-illumination modules are available, as well as breadboard tops, which have regularly spaced tapped holes for custom designs.

Trans-illumination illuminates from the opposite side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Example imaging modalities include brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), Dodt gradient contrast, oblique, and darkfield microscopy. Trans-illumination modules, which condition light (on certain models) and direct it along the optical path, are attached to the support rail of the microscope body via a linear dovetail (see Microscope Dovetails tab or here). Please note that certain imaging modalities will require additional optics to alter the properties of the beam; these optics may be easily incorporated in the optical path via lens tubes and cage systems. In addition, Thorlabs offers condensers, which reshape input collimated light to help create optimal Köhler illumination. These attach to a mounting arm, which holds the condenser at the throat depth, or the distance from the optical path to the support rail. The arm attaches to a focusing module, used for aligning the condenser with respect to the sample and trans-illumination module.

 

microscope bodyClick to Enlarge
Light from the sample plane is collected through an objective (blue) and viewed using trinocs or other optical ports (pink).

Sample Viewing/Recording

Once illuminated, examining a sample with a microscope requires both focusing on the sample plane (see blue components to the right) and visualizing the resulting image (see pink components).

A microscope objective collects and magnifies light from the sample plane for imaging. On the Cerna microscope, the objective is threaded onto a nosepiece, which holds the objective at the throat depth, or the distance from the optical path to the support rail of the microscope body. This nosepiece is secured to a motorized focusing module, used for focusing the objective as well as for moving it out of the way for sample handling. To ensure a light-tight path from the objective, the microscope body comes with a bellows (not pictured).

Various modules are available for sample viewing and data collection. Trinoculars have three points of vision to view the sample directly as well as with a camera. Double camera ports redirect or split the optical path among two viewing channels. Camera tubes increase or decrease the image magnification. For data collection, Thorlabs offers both cameras and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), the latter being necessary to detect fluorescence signals for confocal microscopy. Breadboard tops provide functionality for custom-designed data collection setups. Modules are attached to the microscope body via a circular dovetail (see the Microscope Dovetails tab or here for details).

 

microscope bodyClick to Enlarge
The rigid stand (purple) pictured is one of various sample mounting options available.

Sample/Experiment Mounting

Various sample and equipment mounting options are available to take advantage of the large working space of this microscope system. Large samples and ancillary equipment can be mounted via mounting platforms, which fit around the microscope body and utilize a breadboard design with regularly spaced tapped through holes. Small samples can be mounted on rigid stands (for example, see the purple component to the right), which have holders for different methods of sample preparation and data collection, such as slides, well plates, and petri dishes. For more traditional sample mounting, slides can also be mounted directly onto the microscope body via a manual XY stage. The rigid stands can translate by way of motorized stages (sold separately), while the mounting platforms contain built-in mechanics for motorized or manual translation. Rigid stands can also be mounted on top of the mounting platforms for independent and synchronized movement of multiple instruments, if you are interested in performing experiments simultaneously during microscopy.

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For sample viewing, Thorlabs offers trinoculars, double camera ports, and camera tubes. Light from the sample plane can be collected via cameras, photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), or custom setups using breadboard tops. Click here for additional information about viewing samples with a Cerna microscope.

Product Families & Web Presentations
Sample Viewing Breadboards
& Body Attachments
Cameras PMTs

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Microscope objectives are held in the optical path of the microscope via a nosepiece. Click here for additional information about viewing a sample with a Cerna microscope.

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Large and small experiment mounting options are available to take advantage of the large working space of this microscope. Click here for additional information about mounting a sample for microscopy.

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Thorlabs offers various light sources for epi- and trans-illumination. Please see the full web presentation of each to determine its functionality within the Cerna microscopy platform.

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Epi-illumination illuminates the sample on the same side as the viewing apparatus. Example imaging modalities include fluorescence, confocal, and reflected light microscopy. Click here for additional information on epi-illumination with Cerna.

Product Families & Web Presentations
Epi-Illumination Web Presentation Body Attachments Light Sources
Epi-Illumination Body Attachments Light Sources

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Trans-illumination illuminates from the opposite side of the sample as the viewing apparatus. Example imaging modalities include brightfield, differential interference contrast (DIC), Dodt gradient contrast, oblique, and darkfield microscopy. Click here for additional information on trans-illumination with Cerna.

Product Families & Web Presentations
Brightfield Web Presentation DIC Web Presentation Dodt Web Presentation Condensers Web Presentation Condenser Mounting Web Presentation Illumination Kits Web Presentation Other Light Sources
Brightfield DIC Dodt Condensers Condenser Mounting Illumination Kits Other Light Sources

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The microscope body provides the foundation of any Cerna microscope. The 7.74" throat depth provides a large working space for experiments. Click here for additional information about the Cerna microscope body.

Product Families & Web Presentations
Microscope Body Web Presentation Microscope Body Translator
Microscope Bodies Microscope Translator
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Manual XY Microscopy Stages for DIY Cerna® Systems

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CSA1051 Support Documentation
CSA1051Olympus Stage Adapter Arm for Cerna Microscope, Male D1Y Dovetail
$576.49
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CSS2000 Support Documentation
CSS2000Manual Olympus XY Stage Slide Holder
$73.88
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CSS2001 Support Documentation
CSS2001Manual Olympus XY Stage for Upright Microscope, Female D1Y Dovetail
$1,034.19
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