Hamamatsu Corporation has announced the release of its next-generation slide scanners, the NanoZoomer 2.0 series. Operating at nearly twice the speed of the original series, the NanoZoomer 2.0 converts a 20 mm x 20 mm area on a glass slide into a 1.9-gigapixel color image in as little as 1 minute 40 seconds. The resulting "virtual slides" can be conveniently viewed on a computer monitor, shared across computer networks, used for software-aided image analysis in a variety of research applications, and preserved in digital archives. Because the captured image contains nearly two billion pixels, users can magnify specific areas of the image to inspect fine details. The NanoZoomer 2.0 also enables users capture and view multiple focal planes in thick samples (Z-stack scanning).
The NanoZoomer 2.0 is available in two types. The flagship model, NanoZoomer 2.0-HT, is a fully automated high-throughput scanner that scans up to 210 slides continuously. It is ideal for overnight scanning of large batches of samples. A more compact model, the NanoZoomer 2.0-RS, provides the same high speed and high resolution as the HT model for a smaller number of slides. The RS model handles up to 6 standard slides (76 mm x 26 mm) or 2 double-sized slides (76 mm x 52 mm). Both the HT and RS models can be fitted with an optional fluorescence imaging unit.