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Confocal Microscopy Internet Resources
Fluorescence Filters
Fluorescence microscopy relies heavily on the ability to select a specific wavelength region for excitation of the specimen and gathering secondary emission during image formation. Recent advances in interference filter design have resulted in highly accurate filters that cover a wide range of bandpass profiles, ranging from just a few to tens and hundreds of nanometers. Listed below is a compilation of manufacturers that design, manufacture, and supply fluorescence filters to the microscopy community. The products that they offer will meet most system requirements, but if a specialized application necessitates a filter with an unusual spectral range or other unique specifications, many of the companies will fabricate custom filters.
Barr Associates, Inc. - Founded in 1971 by Edgar E. Barr, Barr Associates, Inc. is a privately held company that prides itself on working closely with customers to provide innovative, simple, and timely optical filtering solutions tailored to meet specific needs. The company has a long history of designing and customizing optical filters for fluorescence applications. Their offerings include excitation and emission bandpass filters, dichroic and multichroic filters, laser rejection and reflection filters, and single-line and multi-line rugate filters.
Chroma Technology - Manufacturing interference filters for the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, Chroma produces a large line of bandpass, multiple bandpass, longpass, and shortpass filters, as well as beamsplitters, dichromatic mirrors, and laser rejection filters. The company specializes in precision spectral control, including extra high signal-to-noise ratio filters and those with rapid cut-on and cut-off profiles to reduce or eliminate crosstalk. Chroma has a unique manufacturing process that involves precisely depositing, in a vacuum, extremely thin layers of two or more materials on an optical glass or similarly transparent substrate.
CVI Laser, LLC - CVI Laser, LLC is a worldwide optical component company that designs and manufactures high-damage laser optics, optical mounts, optical filters, and spectral products. Customers may choose from a broad selection of products in the company's catalog or request custom-made solutions to meet unique application requirements. Those that require environmentally stable, high blocking fluorescence filters may obtain them from CVI, which provides fluorescent filter sets with emitter filters, exciter filters, and dichroic beamsplitters for use with the specific light sources, fluorophores, and dyes customers utilize in their laboratories.
Glen Spectra - Glen Spectra is the United Kingdom's representative for a number of United States companies operating in the general field of light measurement. Included in the extensive array of products that Glen Spectra offers are a large collection of filters for fluorescence microscopy produced by Omega Optical. All of the Omega Optical filter sets are optimized to maximize emission collection and minimize optical degradation by using specialized optical polishing and anti-reflective coatings.
Intor, Inc. - A company proud of maintaining personal contact with their customers, Intor, Inc. has been producing and marketing optical filters since 1994. The products they offer include optical filters of all bandwidths and configurations, which are stocked in a wide range of sizes so that most any customer need may be quickly and easily met.
Newport - Newport Corporation provides advanced technology products and solutions to researchers in many fields, including the life and health sciences, as well as to several business sectors. Recently Spectra-Physics has become part of the Newport corporate family, greatly expanding the company's offerings. Now included in the Newport product line-up are a broad range of Corion and Oriel-brand optical filters and coatings.
Omega Optical - Omega has played a pioneering role in the development of interference filter technology for fluorescence microscopy and is now one of the world's leading suppliers of filters for all major microscopy manufacturers, as well as researchers and laboratories around the globe. The company manufactures and distributes an extensive product line of dye-specific filter sets for single and multiply labeled widefield and confocal microscopy applications. In addition, Omega engineers continue to work collaboratively with researchers on the development of new filter sets for cutting-edge applications.
Photon Technology International - Photon Technology International, which was founded in 1983, designs, manufactures, and markets state-of-the-art fluorescence instruments. Their products are utilized in leading laboratories around the world for medical research, health care, industrial process, quality control, environmental science, and other applications. In addition to complete fluorescence systems, the company offers an array of accessories, filters, filter sets, and polarizers. Also found on the website are numerous articles about the phenomenon of fluorescence and its applications, as well as a large collection of technical notes.
Schott Glass - Schott Glass has been a worldwide leading manufacturer of optical glass for over 115 years. Among the vast range of products offered by the renowned company is a tremendous selection of standard glass and interference filters, including those designed for fluorescence purposes. If customers cannot find filters to meet their application requirements from these offerings, however, Schott Glass will custom-design the product they need. The company creates their interference filters through a special process that results in their ability to exhibit excellent climatic resistance and their very stable spectral characteristics.
Semrock - Semrock develops and manufactures high-performance biomedical optics, including filters for Raman spectroscopy and unique laser-system optics such as the ultra-broadband MaxMirror laser mirror. The company's innovative catalog offerings further include the BrightLine series of fluorescence filters, which significantly improve the performance of instrumentation and microscopes. Semrock's products are built upon its own advanced optical coating and filter technology, which was honed through involvement with the telecom industry.