Five different types of real-time 3D microscopes have been built under the trademark Edge, and they have been used to create the micrographic artworks seen on this website. A unique quality of these instruments is their illumination. Conventional microscopes contain a single light source that illuminates the specimen from straight on, which creates flat lighting conditions. Some of the Edge microscopes have as many as six light sources coming from different directions that can be utilized to create more dramatic and revealing lighting. For more information about the Edge Microscopes, see www.edge-3D.com

The Edge High-Definition Three-Dimensional Microscope produces stereo-pair images at magnifications up to 1,500 times actual size. It employs oblique transmitted illumination with 4 separate lights, oblique reflected illumination with 3 separate lights, a mercury vapor fluorescence illumination system, and polarized illumination. This is a remarkably versatile instrument.

Our Olympus BX51 is a reflected light microscope and is fitted with phase contrast optics. It is capable of producing high-contrast images of very transparent objects that have little to no apparent contrast.

The Nikon Eclipse ME600 is fitted with an Edge 3D Illuminator, which makes it a fully three-dimensional microscope. In addition to producing stereo-pair images, it is capable of producing 3D movies and HD video using motional parallax cues.

Our second Edge 3D Microscope (R400) is capable of producing stereo-pair images using transmitted illumination for examining objects that are relatively transluscent, or oblique reflected illumination for objects that are opaque. Magnifications range from 10 times to 1,500 times actual size.