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Barrier-Breaking and Now Edison Award-Winning Objectives

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Barrier-Breaking and Now Edison Award-Winning Objectives

Olympus has been designing and manufacturing microscope objectives for more than 100 years. While we consistently produce high-quality objectives with a large field-of-view, limitations in conventional fabrication methods forced a compromise between optimal numerical aperture, image flatness, and chromatic correction.

Until recently, we produced separate objectives, excelling in one or two of those areas, and our users could choose the one that best suited their needs. Then our optical engineers made a breakthrough that rendered this trade-off a thing of the past.

X Line Objectives—A Product of Innovative Thinking

By combing their expertise, our engineers innovated a new polishing technology for objective lenses. This proprietary technology enables us to manufacture convex lenses with ultra-thin edges as well as ultra-thin concave lenses.

The shape of the lenses enables them to capture light at a wider angle than conventional lenses. And, because they are so thin, more lenses can be packaged in each objective housing in such a way that the NA, image flatness, and chromatic correction range are all increased. Our X Line objectives are the first to be produced with this novel technology.

You can learn more about the technique in this white paper.

Cross-section of a microscope objective illustrating the dramatic increase in optical performance provided by the polishing technology used for X Line objectives

Awarded for “Game-Changing” Optical and Imaging Technology

Each year, the Edison Awards, named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931), recognize “excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design, and innovation,” according to the Edison Awards website.

Selected by a panel of over 3,000 leading business executives from around the world, our X Line objectives were this year’s Gold Edison Award recipient in the Applied Technology category and Optical Imaging Technologies subcategory.

“After a thorough review, the Edison Awards judges recognized the X Line Objectives as a game-changing innovation standing out among the best new products and services launched in their category,” said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards.

Optical barrier breaking X Line objectives from Olympus, a product of 100 years of expertise in the microscopy and optical manufacturing field

Why X Line Objectives Were Judged Gold-Award Worthy

Owing to our new manufacturing technology, X Line objectives feature revolutionary improvements, offering a larger numerical aperture (NA), better image flatness, and a wider chromatic correction range compared with conventional objectives.

With these advancements, users can acquire bright, high-quality images throughout the entire field of view, helping improve quantitative data acquisition and the speed of creating large stitched images. Research across many fields stands to benefit

(a) Conventional PLAPON60XO (NA1.42)

(b) X Line UPLXAPO60XO (NA1.42) 

We are truly honored to have received such a prestigious accolade. Recognizing and honoring the best in innovation and innovators since 1987, the Edison Awards are highly revered innovation awards around the world.

For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.

Related Content

3 Advantages of Using X Line Objectives

X Line Objectives Win a 2019 Laser Focus World Innovation Award

A Century of Creation—The Story of Our Life Science Imaging Systems

Manager, Marketing Communications

Kerry Israel is the Manager of Marketing and Communications for Life Science at Evident. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brandeis University, and more than 15 years of experience in all aspects of marketing, from advertising and social media strategy to grassroots outreach. 

Jun 12 2020
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