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Array-Detector Confocal Microscopy


Within array-detector confocal systems, an array of multiple pinhole detectors replaces the conventional pinhole and single detector typical for a regular confocal system. Each detector produces a similar but shifted image as the image from the central pinhole. Summed, they produce an image equivalent to that of a single large pinhole: good signal but no resolution advantage. However, the images are not only shifted w.r.t. each other, but also have a different Point Spread Function. The Huygens MLE algortihm takes all this into account to generate a high resolution, high signal and contrast result.

All Detectors

The Huygens Array Detector Deconvolution Option allows you to obtain high resolution and contrast from array detector data, such as that acquired on a Zeiss® Airyscan system. The Airyscan microscope can be used in 4 modes, and Huygens now offers high quality deconvolution for each single mode:

  • Standard mode: this is the conventional confocal mode of the Airyscan. For Huygens deconvolution you can use the Confocal Deconvolution Option in Huygens setting the pinhole size at the size of the pinhole used during acquisition.
  • Virtual pinhole mode: in this mode you can decide for the size of the pinhole in post-processing. For Huygens deconvolution you can use the Confocal Deconvolution Option in Huygens setting the pinhole size at the size of the pinhole decided in post-processing.
  • Super Resolution mode: these datasets include all 32-detector images. The Array-detector confocal option in Huygens includes various modes to intelligently combine the information from these 32-detector datasets and deconvolve data acquired in Airyscan super-resolution mode.
  • Fast mode: this mode uses elongated laser excitation in combination with 16 detectors (the central 3 'vertical' detector columns). The fast mode allows for the acquisition of 4 lines simultaneously, thereby speeding up the image acquisition with a factor of 4. The Array-detector confocal option in Huygens includes a special Fast Airyscan mode to optimally process the 16-detector datasets from Fast Airyscan.

Next to supporting the various Zeiss Airyscan modes, the Huygens Array Detector Confocal Deconvolution Option also supports other multi-detector layouts. This includes a nanoSPAD detector layout, or other generic multi-detector layouts. The Matrix detector from Abberior is also supported by the Matrix STED detector option instead because the processing of array-detector STED images is significantly different from array-detector confocal images.