Laboratory Microscope Leasing
What is Microscopy?
Microscopy is the field of study that uses microscopes to observe small objects you can’t see with the naked eye. electromagnetic and electron waves are just two examples of light that can be used to enlarge microscopic samples. The images can be dynamic or static.
Microscopy is made up of several branches; however, the three most well-known branches include optical, electron, and scanning probe microscopy.
Optical
Optical microscopy, performed using optical microscopes, use visible light to illuminate a specimen and generate a magnified image. These devices are also referred to as light microscopes. The use of visible light to illuminate a specimen is what differentiates them from the other common branches of microscopy.
These devices are the oldest type of microscope, and are generally simple in design. Some examples of light microscopes include compound microscopes, stereo microscopes (also referred to as dissecting microscopes), and brightfield microscopes, which are still used in academic and research labs today.
However, more advanced optical microscopes have been improved through digitalization to allow for improved magnification, resolution, and sample contrast. These digitized models are referred to as digital microscopes.
Electron
Electron microscopy is carried out using electron microscopes, which, unlike optical microscopes, use a beam of fast-moving electrons as the microscopes light source, and magnify an image using the wave-like characteristics of the sample. The sample is held within a vacuum chamber, where the air has been pumped out, because electrons don’t travel easily through air. These types of microscopes offer better resolution than optical microscopes, but the sample is generally killed by the use of electrons.
Scanning Probe
Scanning probe microscopy, on the other hand, use a physical probe to scan a specimen and form an image of its surface, providing a nanoscale view of the surface of a sample. The data collected using a scanning probe microscope is generated as a two-dimensional grid of points that are displayed as a computer image.
Uses & Components
While microscopy is well-known for its uses in the life science—namely, medicine and biology—it is also commonly used in the materials science and machinery industries. Other industries that rely on microscopes include:
- Microbiology
- Electrophysiology
- Food science
- Marine biology
- Forensics
- Plant science
- Academia
Microscope imaging techniques have proliferated, allowing scientists to see cells in greater detail than ever before. These advances have been the result of contributions from scientists in many different fields, and have led to the development of more complex imaging devices and systems.
However, in its simplest form, a microscope is quite straightforward. It is composed of a system of glass lenses—eyepiece lens, condenser lens, and objective lens—and an illumination light source. Structurally, a microscope is simple as well, and includes:
- The head and body, which houses the optical parts of the microscope, including the eyepiece lens and the eyepiece tube.
- The base, which houses the light source and supports the microscope.
- The mechanical stage, which includes stage clips, the aperture, the condenser lens, and a diaphragm for stopping light from passing through to the specimen (other than the aperture light).
- The arm, which connects to the base and supports the head and includes focus knobs.
However, as more complex microscopes were developed, they started housing numerous fine-tuned lenses with tightly controlled dimensions, all within the body of the instrument itself, allowing for greater imaging capabilities.
Why Lease a Lab Microscope?
Generally speaking, the more lenses, objectives, and complex eyepieces a microscope has, the more expensive the instrument becomes. Many of the newer, highly specialized devices can be difficult to purchase outright due to large down payments. Because prices can become so extreme, leasing a microscope comes in handy for labs of all sizes and budgets, but particularly newer labs working on a limited budget.
Leasing significantly reduces upfront payment by spreading the whole cost of the instrument out over time. Doing so allows you to save money for other expenditures, ones that are usually vital to the success of your research and growth of your business.
When you lease a microscope with Excedr, you can also expedite the administrative work involved with equipment procurement using our team, minimize any unforeseen equipment downtime using our comprehensive repair and maintenance coverage, take advantage of potential tax deductions, and conserve your working capital, which gives you the ability to reinvest in your core operations.
We lease a wide variety of high-quality microscopes, from confocal and electron to infrared, X-ray, and Raman. Even if you don’t see something you want, chances are we can source the equipment for you. Our inventory is dynamic and brand agnostic, allowing us to lease the exact microscope you’re interested in.
The Advantages of Excedr’s Leasing Program:
- Eliminates the upfront cost of purchasing equipment by spreading its cost over time
- Minimizes equipment downtime with included complete repair coverage and preventive maintenance
- Takes advantage of potentially 100% tax deductible* payments, providing you significant cash-savings
- Expedites the administrative work needed for instrument procurement and logistics
- Conserves working capital, enabling you to reinvest in your core business and operations (staffing, inventory, marketing/sales, etc.)
- Accommodates all manufacturer and model preferences
*Please consult your tax advisor to determine the full tax implications of leasing equipment.
Lab Microscopes to Lease
Cell Imaging Systems
Advances in cell imaging technology have transformed the way biologists, pharmacologists, and toxicologists study cells, proteins, and a wide range of molecular interactions. As such, live-cell imaging has proven to be a crucial part of cellular analysis.
Confocal Microscopes
Confocal microscopy is an optical microscopy technique that uses lasers as the excitation source and pinhole spatial filters to solve the issues with fluorescence microscopy while increasing the resolution and contrast of the image.
Electron Microscopes
As an alternative to light microscopes, electron microscopes use beams of electrons for a light source. These microscopes have allowed for analysis of submicron-sized objects down to their atomic position, thanks to extremely high-magnification and high-resolution capabilities.
Fluorescence Microscopes
Fluorescence refers to the emission of light due to the absorption of light. A fluorescence microscope is a form of optical microscope that exploits fluorescence and phosphorescence to identify and observe specific microscopic objects.
High Content Imaging Systems
High-content screening and analysis (HCS/HCA) are powerful methods used to image and evaluate cells to gain an understanding of phenotypic change at the cellular level. HCS and HCA systems, which perform high-content screening analysis, were first introduced over twenty years ago. Although the equipment has since evolved, the screening process typically remains universal amongst the scientific community.
Infrared Microscopes
Infrared radiation, or IR, refers to a type of light that is not visible to the human eye. Though IR is not perceivable to humans through sight, it can be experienced by humans through touch. IR microscopy is a technique that employs IR to aid in magnifying objects that would normally be invisible to the naked eye.
Light Sheet Microscopes
Light sheet microscopy is essential when imaging large, sensitive, living specimens that are easily damaged by light exposure. As a technique, it utilizes a planar sheet of light in order to illuminate the subject. Detection occurs along an axis perpendicular to that of illumination so that only the section being observed is lit, rather than the entire specimen or any out-of-focus features.
Multiphoton Microscopes
Multiphoton microscopy, a nonlinear optical technique, solves this problem by using two photons, rather than the one which is standard in fluorescence microscopy, to excite the sample. This technique can create detailed 3D images of living cells while avoiding photobleaching and phototoxicity.
Raman Microscopes
In Raman spectroscopy, properties of a material can be determined by observing how they interact with inelastic scattering of light. Inelastic scattering refers to when light bounces off an object, it either loses or gains energy.
X-Ray Microscopes
X-rays are high energy waves that are invisible to the human eye but interact in very specialized ways with matter. X-ray microscopy uses electromagnetic radiation found in soft X-rays to produce magnified images of objects that would otherwise not be visible to the human eye.
Lab Microscope Leases to Fit Your Needs
Operating Lease Benefits
Operating leases make it easier to keep pace with technological advances in your field. The monthly lease payments can often be lower than monthly financing payments, and may be 100% tax deductible as well, yielding additional cash-savings. Furthermore, when you lease, you avoid the hefty upfront payments required when buying equipment with cash or a loan.
Sale-Leaseback Options
If you recently bought equipment, Excedr can offer you cash for your device and convert your purchase into a long-term rental. This is called a sale-leaseback. If you’ve paid for equipment within the last ninety days, we can help you recoup your investment and allow you to make low monthly payments. This also frees up money in your budget rather than tying it down to a fixed asset.
