29 Apr

New Cypher VRS1250 Video-Rate Atomic Force Microscope Enables True Video-Rate Imaging at up to 45 Frames per Second

April 27, 2021 (Santa Barbara, CA) Oxford Instruments Asylum Research today announced the launch of the new Cypher VRS1250 video-rate atomic force microscope (AFM). Twice as fast as the first-generation Cypher VRS, the new AFM enables scan rates up to 1250 lines/second and frame rates up to 45 frames/second. This new higher speed will enable researchers to capture nanoscale details of dynamic events that were previously inaccessible, including biochemical reactions, 2D molecular self-assembly, and etch and dissolution processes and more. The Cypher VRS1250 is unique among high-speed AFM’s in that it can also support a full range of modes and accessories, not just high-speed imaging, which makes it a very versatile tool for large interdisciplinary research groups and shared imaging facilities with multiple projects.

“Asylum Research continues to push the boundaries of high-speed AFM technology. By doubling the maximum scan rate, the Cypher VRS1250 allows researchers to improve both the spatial and temporal resolution of their measurements. Combined with a full range of modes and accessories, this makes the Cypher VRS1250 an incredibly powerful AFM for studying biomolecules, bio-membranes, self-assembly processes, 2D materials, polymers and more,” said Terry Hannon, President at Asylum Research.

The Cypher VRS1250 is uniquely designed to support the fastest and highest resolution imaging. Its small spot cantilever detection maintains the lowest signal-to-noise even on the extremely small cantilevers required for video-rate AFM. Asylum’s exclusive blueDrive photothermal excitation and advanced mechanical design for negligible thermal drift enables stable, gentle, high-resolution imaging for the duration of dynamic events, ensuring that you do not miss a critical moment in the process. Importantly, the Cypher VRS1250 is still an easy to use and highly versatile research AFM, capable of meeting the diverse needs of any research group.

Learn more about the Cypher VRS1250 at: https://AFM.oxinst.com/VRS1250

Image caption: (Left) The Cypher VRS1250 (Right) The degradation of a lipid bilayer by an antimicrobial peptide was monitored by Cypher VRS1250 video-rate AFM imaging at 28 fps. The peptide degrades the lipid molecules, eating away the bilayer patch from the inside out. Here, we show just 6 of the over 12,000 image frames collected during the experiment.