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Have you had a chance to arrange for an extended demo of the system? The company could bring you a system so you can test it with your samples for a few days... also, are you clear about the advantages and disadvantages of a resonant scanner versus spinning disk and swept field systems? 
A company with a smaller microscopy operation probably would not have the service coverage of the traditional big microscope companies but you will have a lot more personal contact with the development team.... and, yes, I don't know anything about their systems but it sounds you will be a bit of a beta tester... which may be part of the fun.

Leoncio A. Vergara MD
Assistant Director
Center for Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor
Microbiology and Immunology
University of Texas Medical Branch
409-750-2153 (cell)

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tim Feinstein
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2011 10:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Thorlabs confocals

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Hello all, 

Thorlabs had an interesting display of confocal systems last week, at Experimental Biology in DC, that ranged from a multiphoton system to a resonant-only confocal that they informally quoted at <$70k, including lasers (!).  The general theme seems to be stripped-down systems that do one thing well; e.g. they are still considering whether or how to integrate a FRAP function into their resonant device.  I also wonder whether they have a suitable support network in place to handle maintenance and upgrade issues.  As well, buying a new system with new software can make one feel like an unpaid beta tester.  We might include their resonant scanner in a search for a live-cell dedicated scope, against spinning disc and swept field systems from PE, Andor and Nikon (the Ti base is a must), but I am on the fence about that.  

If anyone has experience with them, please feel free to contact me on line or off.  

Thanks, 


Tim

Timothy Feinstein, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow 
Laboratory for GPCR Biology
Dept. of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology
University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine 
BST W1301, 200 Lothrop St.
Pittsburgh, PA  15261