Perfect Presentation for Low Contrast, Translucent Samples
Designed for use across the range of Vision Engineering inspection microscopes, this new contrast-enhancing base does exactly as its name implies, it enhances contrast in the subject. Easy-to-use control of the illuminator allows the light to be presented optimally for a wide range of subjects. Industrial applications for inspection of optical components, plastic parts, acrylics, and much more work as well with this unit as biological applications such cell research, tissue, and small organism studies.
Perfect presentation of low-contrast translucent samples is now possible with this new illuminator. Diascopic oblique illumination gives a pseudo-3D effect bringing almost invisible subjects to life and in full relief.
See the Invisible
Subjects that appear transparent under bright-field illumination can be seen clearly with three-dimensional qualities when illuminated with the Contrast Enhancing Base. This optically engineered illumination can be adjusted for each sample, enabling users to see details that are not visible with alternative light sources. Control of intensity, angle, and shutter allows otherwise invisible edges to be highlighted, and textures and interfaces to be seen clearly using Vision Engineering’s eyepiece-less, conventional stereo, and digital microscopes. Stunning details can then be captured in two or three dimensions.
Control
The Contrast Enhancing Base is easily controlled by three simple dials; intensity, shutter, and mirror angle. Adjustment of these different controls allows the light position to be optimized for each sample. Typically, subjects viewed at lower magnifications benefit from shutter control whereas subjects viewed at higher magnifications benefit from illumination angle control. By combining these in one unit the benefit is optimized for a wider range of subjects.
What is contrast?
The human eye is naturally drawn to contrast, with increases, in contrast, improving the visibility of detail. Contrast is the speed of change from one area of brightness to another. Gradual change is seen as low contrast, while a subject such as a black line drawn on white paper is high contrast. Many subjects have little contrast which is undetectable to the human eye.
These could be biological cells growing in a support medium or small organisms swimming in a single drop of water. They could be optical components for life-changing medical procedures or optics for day-to-day cameras. Detecting contrast is also useful in the fields of plastics and additive manufacturing where transparent or mono-color translucent components are commonplace. To see the detail within these subjects by adding contrast to the subject is invaluable.
Multi-system compatibility
The Contrast Enhancing Base is a multi-system accessory and is compatible with the following Vision Engineering inspection systems:
- Lynx EVO
- DRV-Z1
- Mantis
- EVO Cam II
- SX Elite
- SX CMO