What is a Differential interference contrast microscope?

A differential interference microscope is a type of optical microscope. Around 1954, Nomalski developed a prism called a Nomalski prism, and the differential interference contrast observation method that applied it has been applied to devices to date, and is mainly used for observing colorless and transparent substances. The light used for observation is the polarization used in polarizing microscopes. For observation, the shape of a substance can be visually observed by adding light and dark contrast from the interference of light caused by applying two orthogonal polarizations to the substance and the deviation of the optical path difference.

Application of Differential interference contrast microscope

The usage of the differential interference microscope is applied to colorless and transparent substances and biological substances such as cells. Since it is a transparent substance, it is difficult to observe it with a normal optical microscope, so it was necessary to color the substance before observing it, but it took time to observe and sometimes the substance was destroyed by staining. However, a differential interference microscope can see a substance three-dimensionally by adding contrast between light and dark by using the difference in the optical path. Therefore, the internal structure of cells can be observed alive.

※Includes information on some trading companies