TIRF Slides

TIRF and TIRF-EC lightguides. TIRF and TIRF-EC slides

Chemically modified and biologically functionalized TIRF and TIRF-EC lightguides,
and TIRF and TIRF-EC slides and coverslips

TIRF Labs offers untreated, chemically modified, and biologically functionalized TIRF and TIRF-EC slides, coverslips, and TIRF and TIRF-EC lightguides. See below the definition of TIRF slides and TIRF lightguides.

Definitions:

TIRF slide – optical substrate with two large surfaces polished and side facets ground or raw cut. Raw cut is a wavy surface obtained after breaking a glass plate scratched on the surface. If the dimensions of a rectangular slide are: 25.4 mm x 76.2 mm x 1.0 mm, only two large surfaces 25.4 mm x 76.2 mm are polished. End facets 25.4 mm x 1.0 mm and side facets 76.2 mm x 1.0 mm are ground or raw cut.  TIRF slides are designed for use with prism-based TIRF. TIRF slides can be used for other than TIRF applications, for example, epi-fluorescence experiments. TIRF slides are not intended for use with lightguide-based TIRF (lg-TIRF). Because end facets of TIRF slides are ground or raw cut; they exhibit compromised quality of coupling light through one of the end facets.

Float-polished vs. abrasive-polished slides and coverslips. Typically, low-cost slides and coverslips are float- or fusion-overflow-polished. The former technology is used by Schott and other firms, the latter – by Corning and others. The quality of their surfaces is sufficient for many applications, including certain TIRF experiments. However, for demanding applications it is good idea to use certified abrasive-polished slides and coverslips with the lowest “scratch and dig” numbers. For “scratch and dig” definitions see the URL: https://www.edmundoptics.com/resources/application-notes/optics/understanding-surface-quality-specifications/

TIRF-EC slide is a TIRF slide, one large surface of which is coated with optically transparent electroconducting layers of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) or tin dioxide SnO2. TIRF-EC slides are designed for TIRF experiments in prism-based TIRF geometry with electrochemical and electric field control (TIRF-EC), including spectroelectrochemical studies, use of electrophoretic and dielectrophoretic effects in the TIRF flow chamber, or in a compartments adjacent to the TIRF flow chamber. More expensive TIRF-EC lightguides are not necessary for TIRFing with prism-based geometry, but can be used instead of TIRF-EC slides.

TIRF lightguide is a TIRF slide with one or two end facets polished. If the dimensions of a rectangular lightguide are: 25.4 mm x 76.2 mm x 1.0 mm, two large surfaces 25.4 mm x 76.2 mm, and at least one of the end facets 25.4 mm x 1.0 mm of the lightguide are polished. Polishing of end facets allows for minimizing scatter of excitation light and facilitates coupling of excitation light into the lightguide. After entering through one of the end facets, propagating excitation light, similar to reflections in an optical fiber, undergoes multiple reflections in TIRF lightguide from the top and the bottom of the lightguide that are large surfaces 25.4 mm x 76.2 mm in the above case. In the case of 0.17-mm-thick lightguide the reflections occur between large surfaces that are 0.17 mm apart.

TIRF-EC lightguide is a TIRF lightguide, one large surface of which is coated with optically transparent electroconducting layers of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) or tin dioxide SnO2. In other words, TIRF-EC lightguide is a TIRF-EC slide, at least one end facet of which is optically polished to minimize scatter of excitation light entering through the end facet. TIRF-EC lightguides are designed for TIRF experiments with lightguide-based TIRF geometry with electrochemical and electric field control (TIRF-EC), including electrophoresis and dielectrophoretic effects in the TIRF flow chamber, or in a compartments adjacent to the TIRF flow chamber. We do not recommend using TIRF-EC slides instead of TIRF-EC lightguides, because the former produce additional scatter at the interface, where excitation light enters the lightguide.

TIRF slides and TIRF lightguides are made of selected low fluorescence glass, silica, and  sapphire to minimize the background fluorescence and scatter. Refractive indices of glass coverslips and slides are 1.52-1.53 @ 546 nm; silica – 1.46 @546 nm,   sapphire – 1.76-1.77 @ 532 nm. Sapphire coverslips are made of crystalline synthetic sapphire with random orientation. Sapphire crystals exhibit small birefringence with refractive indices for the extraordinary and ordinary beams 1.76486 and 1.7717, respectively [http://www.tydexoptics.com]. Typically, for TIRF and TIRF-EC applications small birefringence of a 170-micron sapphire coverslip is not noticeable. Typical sapphire coverslip contains traces of chromium, which results in red auto-fluorescence.

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TIRF and TIRF-EC slides. TIRF and TIRF-EC lightguides

Untreated, chemically modified, and biologically functionalized TIRF and TIRF-EC slides, lightguides, and coverslips

	Product number	TIRF and TIRF-EC slides, and TIRF and TIRF-EC lightguides Untreated	Price USD per one slide
U1	Al2O3_2240170	Sapphire TIRF lightguides 22 x 40 x 0.17 mm. Two large surfaces 22 x 40 mm and one end facet 22 x 0.17mm are polished. Minimum order – 5 slides.	$125.00
U2	Al2O3_2040170	Sapphire TIRF lightguides 20 x 40 x 0.17 mm. Two large surfaces 20 x 40mm and one end facet 20 x 0.17mm are polished. Minimum order – 5 slides.	$125.00
U3	LG2240170	Low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	$50.00
U4	LSiO225751000	Silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25.4×76.2×1.0mm. Two large surfaces 25x76mm and both end facets 25x1mm are polished. Minimum order – 5 slides.	$125.00
U5	SG25751000-ITO	ITO-coated 1-mm glass TIRF-EC slides ~25x76x1mm. One large surface 25x76mm is coated with optically transparent layer of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO). Minimum order – 5 slides.	$220.00
U6	LSG25751000-ITO	ITO-coated 1-mm glass TIRF-EC lightguides ~25x76x1mm. Two large surfaces 25x76mm and both end facets 25x1mm are polished. One large surface 25x76mm is coated with optically transparent layer of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).  Minimum order – 5 slides.	$186.00
U7	SiO225381000	Silica 1-mm TIRF slides 25x38x1.00 mm. Two large surfaces 25x38mm are polished. Minimum order – 5 slides.	$69.00
U8	SiO225381000-ITO	ITO-coated 1-mm silica TIRF-EC slides 25x38x1.00 mm. One large surface 25x38mm is coated with optically transparent layer of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).Minimum order – 5 slides.	$160.00

	Product number	Chemically Modified  TIRF and TIRF-EC slides and lightguides	Price USD per one slide
C1	Al2O3_2040170-OH	Superclean highly hydrophilic sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C2	Al2O3_2040170-CH	Hydrophobic sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C3	Al2O3_2040170-Am	Aminated sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C4	Al2O3_2040170-Ald	Aldehyded sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C5	Al2O3_2040170-Epx	Epoxy-modified sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C6	LG2240170-OH	Superclean highly hydrophilic low fluorescence glass lightguides  22x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C7	LG2240170-CH	Hydrophobic  low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C8	LG2240170-Am	Aminated low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C9	LG2240170-Ald	Aldehyded low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17 mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C10	LG2240170-Epx	Epoxy-modified low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C11	SiO225751000-OH	Superclean highly hydrophilic low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25x76x1mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C12	SiO225751000-CH	Hydrophobic  low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25x76x1mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides..	TBD
C13	SiO225751000-Am	Aminated low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25 x 76 x 1 mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C14	SiO225751000-Ald	Aldehyded low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25 x 76 x 1 mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
C15	SiO225751000-Epx	Epoxy-modified low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25x76x1mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD

	Product number	Biologically Functionalized TIRF and TIRF-EC slides and lightguides	Price USD
B1	Al2O3_2040170-Btn	Biotinylated sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
B2	Al2O3_2040170-Stv	Streptavidin-coated sapphire lightguides 20x40x0.17 mm. Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
B3	LG2240170-Btn	Biotinylated low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17 mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
B4	LG2240170-Stv	Streptavidin-coated low fluorescence glass lightguides 22x40x0.17 mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
B5	SiO225751000-Btn	Biotinylated low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25x76x1mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD
B6	SiO225751000-Stv	Streptavidin-coated low fluorescence silica 1-mm TIRF lightguides 25x76x1mm.  Minimum order – 5 slides.	TBD