NAN™ — Open-Design Upright Microscope for Electrophysiology

NAN™ Open-Design Upright Microscope

The NAN™ from Sutter Instrument is a focusing-nosepiece microscope designed specifically for electrophysiology. Instead of a conventional microscope frame, the entire optical path is built around Sutter's highly stable, height-adjustable MT-70 manipulator gantry stands. This design choice makes the NAN fully reconfigurable: gantry stand spacing, height and tilt can all be adjusted independently, supporting a far wider range of experimental configurations than any fixed-frame upright allows.

Height Adjustment and Motorized Focus

The NAN body is manually height-adjustable over a 75 mm range, allowing coarse repositioning between in vitro slice work and in vivo experiments within a few moments — without moving the preparation or the manipulators. Fine focusing is motorized within the nosepiece itself, providing 25 mm of travel. Two nosepiece options are available: a single-objective version (Sutter-built, gantry stand height 15.25 cm) and an Olympus 2-position swinging nosepiece (gantry stand height 22.86 cm).

Transmitted Light and Epi-Illumination

Transmitted light is provided by a single white light LED or a dual white + IR LED, both driven by the TLED controller which accepts digital triggering — eliminating mechanical shutters and enabling trans-path photostimulation. The Olympus OCC condenser and IR-DIC components are supported for contrast imaging. The entire transmitted-light sub-assembly (LED, condenser focus, condensing optics) is removable as a single unit when not required. Epi-illumination at the nosepiece level is available through a single filter cube or a full Olympus epi-illuminator. For more channels, the FLED-DC (2-channel LED) or Lambda 721 (up to 7 channels) light sources integrate directly.

XY Motion Configurations

The NAN supports three general motion strategies: (1) manual or motorized translator with manipulators on individual gantry stands; (2) manual or motorized translator with manipulators on a large platform stage; or (3) motorized XY platform stage with the NAN fixed to the tabletop. All combinations of manual and motorized motion are available, including MPC-200 controller compatibility for Multi-Link™ software integration.

Applications

• Patch-clamp electrophysiology in slices — the gantry-based design provides rigid, vibration-free objective support while leaving the full space beneath the nosepiece open for manipulators, perfusion systems and recording chambers. OCC or IR-DIC contrast makes patching neurons in thick living slices routine.
• In vivo electrophysiology — the 75 mm manual height adjustment raises the microscope clear of a stereotaxic frame or head-fixation apparatus within seconds. The absence of a conventional frame body eliminates the spatial conflicts that often force researchers to choose between good optics and good manipulator access.
• Flexible multi-modality rigs — the MT-70 gantry system accepts Sutter micromanipulators, motorized stages, and epi-fluorescence modules. Combined with the FLED-DC or Lambda 721 light source, the NAN can be configured as a combined patch-clamp and fluorescence imaging rig in a single footprint.