Argo-POWERHM Slide V2
Fluorescent calibration slide with integrated power meter for high magnification systems, designed for the quality control of confocal microscopes (QC).
The HM core of the POWERHM slides are specifically designed for high magnification microscopes, and especially suited for confocal microscopes.
Example of suited systems
AX / AX-R line
CSU
X-Light line
LSM
Argolight slides are designed to be used with the Daybook software to obtain the most relevant results regarding the quality of your microscope.
Discover daybook
The Argo-POWER line of products integrates a compact yet sensitive power sensor. No need to modify your setup. Its shape and thinness make it fit adequately inside your microscope.
Track the aging of your light sources with a reliable device. Argo-POWER sensors are calibrated and traceable to National French metrology institute (LNE) standards. Each comes with a certificate. Re-certification services are available.
No more “Will 20% laser power kill my cells”. Using Daybook, our companion software, you can measure live power, record timelapses and trace input vs on-sample power graph. The software can generate ready-to-print reports based on your results.
Get quality and performance assessment solutions
User stories
Dr Steffen Dietzel
Head of Core Facility, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich
“We could test the new slide: it was indeed much brighter than our old one. In particular with white light laser systems, where each line is rather dim compared to single line lasers, that made a huge difference. We now could record images with 638 nm excitation which was not possible before.”
Test carried out on Leica Confocal (SP8), with Argo-HM V2.
Dr. Martin Spitaler
Light Microscopy Facility Manager, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried
“We’ve been using our previous Argolight slide to do regular Quality Control on all our microscopes. The new generation is much brighter, in our experience about 2-4x, compared to the old slides. That significantly improves QC with low NA/magnification lenses and in the red channels.”
Test carried out on Leica Widefield (Thunder) and Leica Confocal (SP8) with Argo-HM V2.
Dr Alexia Loynton-Ferrand
Research Associate in Advanced Light Microscopy, Biozentrum Imaging Core Facility, Basel
“The slide is indeed brighter. From the histogram during acquisition, I would say it is double. It makes the acquisition comfortable, and less prone to bleaching. (…) We use the HM slide quite a lot, usually imaging six patterns. Overall, while the first generation of slides was already very nice, the 2nd generation is even more comfortable to use, while keeping all the good features of the previous version.”
Test carried out on Deltavision widefield and ZEISS Confocal (LSM800) with Argo-HM V2.
Argolight slides are designed to do routine quality assessments and reproducibility assessments of light microscopes.
They are made to improve reproducibility of light microscopy image data through quality control management of instruments (QC).
Argo-POWERHM slides are re-usable long lasting fluorescent slides. While intensity may fluctuate with time, we warranty that they will be fluorescent for a lifetime
Argo-POWERHM glass core fluorescence excitation spectrum is a continuum. All slides are compatible with any excitation from 250 nm to 650 nm. Emission is also a continuum starting about 10-20 nm after excitation and ending around 800 nm.
Each Argo-POWERHM glass core contains
several fluorescent microscopic patterns
Each pattern is designed to be processed with the Daybook companion software to detect aberrations and shift in microscopes performance. Users can catch issues before they can impact image quality and/or use the slides images to troubleshoot the image.
Argo-POWERHM specifications
continuum 250-650 nm
room temperature (10-40 °C)
and under normal relative humidity
(20-70 % RH).
from 10µW to 100mW
Measure several hours of data
75x25x6 mm
continuum from the excitation
wavelength plus 15 nm,
to 800 nm
compatibility:
any fluorescence-based imaging
except depletion-based
technology and
multiphoton imaging
from 350nm to 1100nm
Anodized aluminum enclosure
with an AG03 glass core
compatibility:
dry, oil: no limitation,
water objectives: less than 20 min at a time
damage threshold:
50 GW/cm2 irradiance
(peak or average)
Content of the slide
Each Argo-POWERHM slide contains 16 fluorescent patterns.
Target
PAT-AG03-EM1-A1
This pattern consists of concentric circles with increasing radii from 25 μm to 325 μm with a step of 25 μm, plus an extra circle with a radius of 12.5 μm, featuring a target.
Field of rings
PAT-AG03-EM1-B1
This pattern consists of a matrix of 45×45 rings, separated by 15 μm, on a total field of 660 µm × 660 μm. The field of rings is surrounded by eight landmarks and exhibits an 8 μm long cross in its center.
4×4 Intensity gradation
PAT-AG03-EM1-C1
This pattern consists of sixteen 8.5 μm-wide squares having different fluorescence intensity levels following a linear evolution, organized in a 4×4 matrix.
2×16 Intensity Gradation
PAT-AG03-EM1-D1
This pattern consists of twice sixteen 22.5 μm × 1.5 μm rectangles having different fluorescence intensity levels following a linear evolution, organized in a 2×16 matrix.
3D Crossing stairs
1μm step
PAT-AG03-EM1-I1
This pattern consists of twice 11 empty cylinders embedded at different depths, like two crossing stairs, surrounded by four pillars. The step is: 1 μm.
3D Crossing stairs
0.75 μm step
PAT-AG03-EM1-I2
This pattern consists of twice 11 empty cylinders embedded at different depths, like two crossing stairs, surrounded by four pillars. The step is: 0.75 μm.
3D Crossing stairs
0.5 μm step
PAT-AG03-EM1-I3
This pattern consists of twice 11 empty cylinders embedded at different depths, like two crossing stairs, surrounded by four pillars. The step is: 0.5 μm.
3D Crossing stairs
0.25 μm step
PAT-AG03-EM1-I4
This pattern consists of twice 11 empty cylinders embedded at different depths, like two crossing stairs, surrounded by four pillars. The step is: 0.25 μm.
Gradually spaced lines descending
PAT-AG03-EM1-E3
This pattern consists of pairs of 50 μm-long lines whose spacing gradually increases, from 100 nm to 700 nm, with a step of 50 nm. One set of lines is present: descending (- 45°).
Gradually spaced lines horizontal
PAT-AG03-EM1-E1
This pattern consists of pairs of 50 μm-long lines whose spacing gradually increases, from 100 nm to 700 nm, with a step of 50 nm. One set of lines is present: horizontal.
Gradually spaced lines ascending
PAT-AG03-EM1-E4
This pattern consists of pairs of 50 μm-long lines whose spacing gradually increases, from 100 nm to 700 nm, with a step of 50 nm. One set of lines is present: ascending (+ 45°).
Gradually spaced lines vertical
PAT-AG03-EM1-E2
This pattern consists of pairs of 50 μm-long lines whose spacing gradually increases, from 100 nm to 700 nm, with a step of 50 nm. One set of lines is present: vertical.
Repositionning crosses
PAT-AG03-EM1-H1
The repositioning crosses are 40 μm long.
Sphere
PAT-AG03-EM1-G1
This pattern consists of three circles with a diameter of 50 μm in different orthogonal planes, featuring the equator and two meridians of a sphere.
Matrix of crosses
PAT-AG03-EM1-F1
This pattern consists of a matrix of 6×6 crosses, having a length of 5 μm and a step of 8 μm, surrounded by a 50 μm-wide frame.
The crosses are composed of vertical lines that are in the same plane, and by horizontal lines, going gradually deeper within the glass.
The spacing between the vertical and horizontal lines gradually increases, from 0.1 µm to 3.6 μm, with a step of 0.1 μm.
Word ARGOLIGHT
PAT-AG03-EM1-J1
This pattern consists of the letters forming the company name “Argolight”, and surrounded by a 220 μm × 50 μm frame.
Argo-POWERHM Slide V2
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