Image Capture and Processing

Q    What is focus assist?
A    Focus assist is a gauge designed to aid in rapid focusing and to help reduce the feeling of being “lost” while trying to focus on a sample. The scale bar displays a number based on the position of the objective lens. That number can be correlated with a particular sample vessel, allowing you to focus on a sample in that sample vessel more quickly in the future.

Q    How do I capture images on the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?
A     The FLoid device is primarily operated through a graphical user interface, much like a smart phone. You focus on the sample with the turn of a knob.

Q    Can the FLoid device measure cells in my image? 
A     Yes. The scale bar changes as the digital zoom level is changed, allowing easy estimation of sample sizes.

Q    How do I process images on the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?
A    Easily. The FLoid device has built-in image processing so you can quickly adjust the brightness and contrast of your images. You can also display images in color or black and white.

 

Q    Can I print images from the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?
A     Yes. The FLoid device is designed to operate like a molecular biology gel documenting station. You simply walk up and, after a few clicks and a few moments, you walk away with a credit card–sized printed image that you can peel off and place directly into your lab notebook.

Q    Do I need special software to see my results saved to a thumb drive on my computer?
A     No. Most computers have built-in image-viewing software that will open JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or PNG files.

Instrument Operation

Q    How long does it take to generate images?
A    The FLoid device can generate images in 1–2 minutes for most samples.

Q    Does the FLoid Cell Imaging Station need to be placed in a darkroom?
A     No. The light shield helps block most ambient light and enables imaging at the bench or tissue culture facility in normal lighting conditions.

Q    Can I set up the device myself?
A     Yes. You can unpack the device and collect images in little as 10 minutes. A field installation engineer is not necessary.

Q    What types of vessels are compatible with the FLoid Cell Imaging Station? 
A    T-flasks, Petri dishes, 6-well plates, 96-well plates, microscope slides, coverslips, and Matek dishes.

Q    How do I clean and maintain the instrument?
A     Simply wipe the instrument exterior using a soft, lint-free cloth moistened with distilled water. Wipe the instrument dry immediately after cleaning.

Q    How long do I need the device to warm up before use?
A    The light sources do not require any warm-up time prior to imaging. The device start-up time is less than one minute, after which it is ready to image.

Q    Does the FLoid  device require a computer?
A    No. The Floid Cell Imaging Station is a fully integrated system combining optics, electronics, and mechanics with an onboard computer and widescreen LCD monitor.

Q    Can you connect the FLoid  device to a computer?
A     No, but you can easily transfer your data to a computer using a USB drive.

Q    Do I need to load software on my computer?
A     No. Most computers have built-in image-viewing software that will open the JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or PNG files.

Q    Does the FLoid  device save images?   
A     Yes. The FLoid device saves images as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, or PNG file formats. Save underlying channels to retain unaltered TIFF files of each channel.

Q    Can I select a different language for the user interface?
A     Yes. You may choose from English, Spanish, German, simplified Chinese, French, Italian, and Japanese

Instrument Specifications


Q    What are the physical dimensions?

A    15.9” (W) x 21.1” (H) x 13.9” (D) (40.4 x 53.6 x 35.3 cm).

Q    How heavy is the FLoid device?
A    ~28 pounds or ~13 kg.

Q    What channels are available on the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?
A    Four channels are available: transmitted light, and blue, green, and red fluorescent channels.

Q    What are the excitation sources?
A    The excitation sources are light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with wavelengths of 390/40 nm (blue channel), 482/18 nm (green channel), and 586/15 nm (red channel).

Q    What are the emission wavelengths?
A    The emission wavelengths are 446/33 nm (blue channel), 532/59 nm (green channel), and 646/68 nm (red channel).

Q    Can I change the emission filters on the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?

A    The emission wavelengths on the FLoid device are fixed, which means that the filters are always there and ready for use.

Q    What dyes are compatible on the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?
A    The FLoid Cell Imaging Station contains the three most common channels used in fluorescence imaging: DAPI, Alexa Fluor® 488 dye, and Texas Red® dye. For a complete list of Molecular Probes™ dyes that are compatible with the device, please see the FLoid Cell Imaging Station Dye compatibility page.

Q    What reagents are on the Molecular Probes® reagents tab?
A    The reagent information tab covers about 160 different reagents in 20 application categories, all related to cell imaging. Each reagent has a protocol with quick-reference icons and concise text for maximum usability.

Q    Is an extended warranty available for the FLoid Cell Imaging Station?
A    The instrument comes with a 12-month warranty, and you may purchase an extended warranty for an additional 12 months.

Q    Does the FLoid Cell Imaging Station come with a keyboard and a mouse?
A    Yes. The device comes with a keyboard, mouse, power cable, and USB flash memory stick.

Q    What type of magnification can I expect?
A    The FLoid Cell Imaging Station has 460x optical magnification and up to 1,840x digital zoom.

For Research Use Only.  Not intended for human or animal therapeutic or diagnostic use.

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