09 July 2018
Improved usability and larger application range
Leica Microsystems launches the latest software version 8.2 for Laser Microdissection microscopes. Laser Microdissection is used to dissect regions of interest (ROI) from microscopic samples with the help of a laser. The dissectates are then collected and can be deeper analyzed either by molecular biology methods, or by other microscopy techniques.
Improved usability
With LMD software version 8.2 the usability of the LMD devices is further increased: One new feature for customers who need hundreds and thousands of the same type of dissectates is the “Draw Region” tool. The user just needs to encircle one region of interest e.g. an Alzheimer’s Plaque in his sample and the software will set this as a template to find all other plaques in the field of view.
Final Pulse
Furthermore, the new cutting mode “Final Pulse” is introduced with the new software version: In this mode the laser does not cut the entire drawn line with the same laser setting, as it would usually do. Instead, the laser shoots a final pulse with a broader width at the end of the cut, so that the dissectate is “pushed down” into the collection vessel. This cutting mode helps to handle challenging specimen and increases the collection rate.
Broaden the application range for Laser Microdissection
The second focus of the latest software release is to broaden the application range for Laser Microdissection: For example, the “Grid-like Drawing Tool” creates a regular grid on the sample image. Each single rectangle can then be cut and assigned to a dedicated collection well (e.g. a 96 well plate). This new tool is extremely useful for high throughput pharmaceutical screenings, since the sample can be dissected systematically and automatically.
Moreover, the Auto Detection Mode (ADM, formerly known as AVC – Auto Vison Control) for automatic ROI recognition has been reworked fundamentally. Users can now combine up to three different recognition parameters such as brightfield plus different fluorescent signals. This feature enables users to define sophisticated experiments such as Genome Architecture Mapping (GAM).
Besides these major improvements, there are several additional minor changes, simplifying the workflow of Laser Microdissection. In addition, the Leica LMDsoftware is now compatible with the high-end monochrome camera DFC7000 GT.