Thorlabs' Solis LEDs for microscopy deliver several watts of total output power from a lightweight, vibration-free package. They provide high-power illumination that can be coupled directly to the epi-illumination path on a microscope. 

The Solis® LEDs are high-power LEDs designed for microscopy applications. The lightweight package features a vibration-free, fanless design that can be mounted directly to a microscope port using one of Thorlabs' microscope lamphouse port adapters (available below). Each LED includes a collimating optic in a lens tube with a large Ø48.3 mm aperture. An integrated EEPROM chip stores important LED operating information, such as wavelength and max current, and controls the LED automatic shutoff features; at internal temperatures above 95 °C, the LED will automatically shut down to prevent damage.

Most Solis LEDs have a specified dominant wavelength that corresponds to the wavelength that appears brightest to the human eye. Our cold white, warm white, and day light white LEDs feature a broader spectrum that can be described using a correlated color temperature (i.e., color appearance similar to a black body radiator at that temperature). In general, warm white LEDs offer a spectrum similar to a tungsten source, while cold white LEDs have a stronger blue component to the spectrum. These cold white LEDs are more suited for fluorescence microscopy applications or cameras with white balancing because of a higher intensity at most wavelengths compared to the warm white LEDs. The SOLIS-3C day light LED has improved output power in the 470 - 520 nm wavelength range 

Features

• Wavelengths Available from UV to NIR (See the Table to the Right for Options)
• Fanless Design Efficiently Dissipates Heat without Introducing Vibrations
• Lightweight Package for Mounting Directly to Microscope Ports, Eliminating the Need for Liquid Light Guides (LLGs)
• Collimated LED Output through Large Ø48.3 mm (1.90") Clear Aperture
• Integrated Electronics Enable Smart Safety Features with Compatible Drivers
• Compatible with Port Adapters for Use with Olympus, Nikon, Leica, Zeiss, and Cerna® Microscopes

Light from the LED is collimated through a large Ø48.3 mm aperture that can be attached via an adapter (available separately below) to the epi-illumination paths of many industry-standard microscopes from Olympus, Nikon, Leica, and Zeiss. To install, select one of Thorlabs' microscope port adapters (available separately below), screw it onto the end of the housing, and secure the LED to a compatible microscope. Each Solis LED includes a user-installable diffuser plate (Item # DG20-1500), which can be used to make the output profile of the LED more uniform, and can help to provide even illumination at the sample plane.

The lightweight design features passive cooling instead of an internal fan in order to eliminate vibrations that normally degrade image quality in a microscopy setup. Each LED is mounted to a heatsink inside of a 127.8 mm x 127.8 mm x 162.0 mm vented housing to efficiently dissipate heat. As an added level of protection, the integrated internal memory is programmed to trigger an automatic shutdown if the LED internal temperature reaches 95 °C, preventing damage from overheating. The LED will restart after it has cooled to a temperature below 95 °C. For more Solis LED performance information when using Solis LEDs, please see the Performance tab.

Solis LED Drivers
We offer two driver options for our Solis LEDs. The DC20 Plug-and-Play Solis LED Driver (available separately below) features a knob that provides LED current control and functions as an LED On/Off switch as well as a BNC input for external TTL modulation signals.

The DC2200 Touchscreen LED Driver (available separately) has an intuitive, touchscreen interface that supports both basic current control and more advanced modulation functions for the Solis LED head. 

Key Specifications:

• Typical Collimated LED Output Powers from 570 mW to 8.75 W
• Wavelengths Available from UV to NIR
• Automatic Shut Off to Prevent Damage from Overheating
• Large Ø48.3 mm (1.90") Clear Aperture
• LED Lifetime: >10 000 Hours
• Compatible with DC20 and DC2200 LED Drivers