We "rotated" a confocal a number of years ago.  This "Objective 
Inverter" seems like an easier way.

The biggest issue is that the focus rack and gears are designed for a 
verticle motion.  There is A lot of whiplash when changing focus 
directions.  Our system has approximately 185 µm of slack before 
changing directions in focusing.  So you are pretty much lmited to 
focusing in one direction. For z-series you always have to reset the 
focus gearing since the normal stepers etc do not take into accoutn a 
the large whiplash.

Oh, ours is an older PCM2000 on a Nikon Optiphot.





On 15 Apr 2009 at 1:12, Stephen Cody wrote:

> Dear Richard,
> 
> A simple and fairly cost effective way to do it may be with the "Objective Inverter"
> http://www.lsmtech.com/objectiveinverter.html
> 
> The name implies inverting the objective. But I think it is capable of turning the objective to any angle.
> 
> No commercial interest, and I have not used this system either, but it looks very cleaver.
> 
> Cheers
> Steve Cody
> 
> 2009/4/15 Richard Superfine <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
> We are interested in viewing a cell culture that has been turned vertically
> so that the surface liquid can drain. We therefore need to rotate the
> microscope so that its optical axis is horizontal. We want to be able to
> rotate the microscope continuously from a vertical optical axis (normal
> configuration) to a horizontal one. Does anyone know of a publication that
> describes the mechanical design of a rotation assembly for accomplishing this?
> Thanks,
> Rich
> 
> Richard Superfine
> Bowman and Gordon Gray Professor
> Department of Physics and Astronomy
> Director, Center for Computer Integrated Systems for Microscopy and
> Manipulation (CISMM) Phillips Hall CB3255 University of North Carolina
> Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255
> 919.962.1185   CISMM.org
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Stephen H. Cody
> Consulting Microscopist
> 


Richard E. Edelmann, Ph.D.
EXPO Editor, Microscopy and Microanalysis Supplement
Electron Microscopy Facility Director
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