Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC)
Also known as Nomarski Microscopy, DIC is a method allowing the principle of interferometry to obtain information about the optical density of the specimen that otherwise would be invisible i.e. Unstained plant, animal and bacterial cells etc. It’s principle of operation involves the use of a pair of polarisers and Wollaston prisms to manipulate the light path through the specimen, enhancing local contrast and imparting a 3D like appearance.
DIC is best suited to Biological samples (live or fixed) that are fairly transparent and have a similar refractive index to the mounting media. It’s not suited to thick sections or highly pigmented samples. The technique can also be used in material sciences to study silicon wafers crystalline structures.
DIC is available on both the Zeiss AxioImager and the Leica TCS SP2 UV. The Zeiss AxioImager is the microscope most suited to imaging using this technique with its sensitive colour camera, but can be used as a useful adjunct to confocal imaging on the Leica SP2 UV.
