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  8. ECLIPSE Ni-E/Ni-U - Ni-E Key Features

Upright MicroscopeECLIPSE Ni-E/Ni-U

ECLIPSE Ni-E/Ni-U


Ni-E (focusing stage) configured with motorized epi-fluorescence illuminator, motorized condenser and motorized quadrocular tilting tube


Ni-E (focusing nosepiece) configured with motorized excitation and barrier filter wheels, motorized epi-fluorescence illuminator, confocal microscope system, high-sensitivity camera, motorized stage and motorized quadrocular tilting tube

ECLIPSE Ni-E, Nikon’s top-of-the-line motorized upright microscope, was developed to meet the increasing demands for sophistication and automation of research. ECLIPSE Ni-E boasts flexible system expandability and supports a broad range of advanced research applications.
With Nikon’s proprietary stratum structure, exchangeable focusing mechanisms, from focusing stage to focusing nosepiece, a diverse array of motorized accessories, and automatically changing observation conditions, Ni-E has expanded application possibilities to provide the perfect solution for all advanced bioscience and medical research.

Stratum structure improves system expandability

Nikon’s proprietary stratum structure enables simultaneous mounting of two optical paths on one microscope to support various applications.
This structure allows double layer mounting of an epi-fluorescence illuminator and a barrier filter wheel, or a photoactivation unit and a back port unit, developed for the first time for upright microscopes.


Ni-E (focusing nosepiece) configured with back port unit, motorized epi-fluorescence illuminator, two high-sensitivity cameras, motorized stage and motorized quadrocular tilting tube


Ni-E (focusing nosepiece) configured with photoactivation unit, motorized epi-fluorescence illuminator, high-sensitivity camera, motorized stage and motorized quadrocular tilting tube

High-speed motorized accessories

The wide array of motorized accessories clearly differentiated by function, including the newly developed motorized excitation filter wheel and motorized barrier filter wheel, can be custom-combined depending on application.

Two exchangeable focusing mechanisms


Ni-E (focusing nosepiece) configured with multiphoton confocal microscope system, episcopic and diascopic NDD units, motorized epi-fluorescence illuminator and motorized quadrocular tilting tube

The microscope can be modified by switching the focusing stage and focusing nosepiece, enabling a fixed-stage configuration with motorized focusing to meet the demands of experiments such as in vivo deep imaging utilizing multiphoton confocal microscopy.

Automatic adjustment with objective changeover

Condenser, aperture, field diaphragm and ND filter are automatically set to optimal positions according to the objective magnification in use. In addition, XYZ stage travel distance per handle rotation and parfocal distance deviation correction are automatically adjusted. Microscope settings can also be manually adjusted.

Change of observation conditions

Selected observation conditions can be designated to individual buttons, enabling changes to be made at the push of a button. This is particularly convenient when reproducing specific observation conditions.

High-precision motorized focusing

High-precision Z-focus provides accurate Z-position information required for use with confocal laser microscopes and supports automated Z-series acquisition. Individual coarse and fine focus knobs enhance ease of operation.

Supreme optical performance

Nano Crystal Coat technology

Employed for the first time in microscope objectives, this anti-reflective coating consists of nanometer-size particles. It is based on semiconductor manufacturing technology and is also used for Nikon camera lenses. The coating’s coarse structure and the arrangement of particles in a spongy construction with uniform spaces between them achieve extremely low refractive indices.

CFI Plan Apochromat λ series objective lens

With remarkably high NA, greatly improved transmission in the long wavelength range thanks to Nikon proprietary Nano Crystal Coat, and chromatic aberration correction from 435 nm to 850 nm, these objectives are ideally suited not only for brightfield and DIC observations but also for fluorescent observations. These lenses allow bright and clear image acquisition at any wavelength for near-IR imaging and multi-color fluorescence imaging. Because bright images can be captured even with a weak excitation light, damage to specimens is minimized.

Water dipping objective lenses

With a long working distance and high NA, these objectives provide excellent transmission in near IR wavelength range. The axial chromatic aberration of 40x and 60x objectives has been corrected to up to 850 nm, allowing high-resolution images of minute structures in thick specimens during IR-DIC observation. The 25xW MP and 100x objectives feature high NA and a long working distance. With chromatic aberration corrected in the IR region, these objectives are ideal for multiphoton excitation observation. In addition, by employing a mechanism to compensate for the changes in spherical aberration that occur at different temperatures and depths of observation points, clear images of areas deep within thick specimens can be captured.

Uniformly bright illumination

The“fly-eye”lens is ideally suited to diascopic illumination optical systems. Uniform and bright illumination up to the viewfield periphery is provided at any magnification.

Fluorescence noise elimination

Nikon’s proprietary noise terminator mechanism is employed in the epi-fluorescence cube turret and filter cubes. The S/N ratio has been dramatically improved by thoroughly eliminating stray light in the filter cubes, allowing images of weak fluorescent signals to be captured with high contrast and brightness.

Ultimate ease of operation

Simple digital imaging

Images can be captured with Digital Sight cameras by simply pressing the image capture button located on the microscope base.

3D ergo design

Most microscope controls can be operated with the easy-to-reach buttons on the front of the Ni-E. Operation buttons on the microscope’s sides are angled to allow intuitive touch-type operations during observation.

Controllers supporting intuitive operations

The DS-L3 stand-alone control unit allows Ni-E microscope functions, a Digital Sight camera and peripheral devices to be controlled using a mouse or a touch panel without a PC connection. An ergo controller with a similar operational feel as that of an actual microscope is also available.

Stand-alone control unit DS-L3

Ergo controller