Olympus CPlanFL N 10X RC1 Objective – Relief Contrast

The Olympus CPlanFL N 10× RC1 Relief Contrast Objective is a specialized semi-apochromat lens engineered for relief contrast observation of living cells in plastic culture vessels. This unique objective provides excellent contrast for unstained specimens without requiring phase contrast accessories, making it ideal for observing oocytes, embryos, and other living cells in IVF applications, cell culture, and developmental biology research.

Relief contrast is a specialized optical technique that provides excellent visualization of unstained living cells without the need for phase rings or other contrast-enhancing accessories. The RC1 optical design creates a three-dimensional relief effect that enhances the visibility of cellular structures, membranes, and organelles in transparent specimens. This technique is particularly valuable for observing delicate living cells where staining is not possible and where the simplicity of not requiring phase contrast accessories is advantageous.

At 10× magnification with a numerical aperture of 0.30, this objective provides good resolution for observing cellular details while maintaining a reasonable field of view. This magnification is ideal for screening cell cultures, monitoring embryo development, assessing oocyte quality, and performing micromanipulation procedures where you need to see cellular structures clearly while maintaining spatial context.

The long working distance of 9mm is specifically designed to accommodate plastic culture vessels commonly used in cell culture and IVF applications. Plastic dishes and flasks have thicker bottoms than glass slides, and the extended working distance ensures that you can focus through the plastic to observe cells growing on the bottom of the vessel. This eliminates the need to transfer cells to glass slides, reducing handling stress and contamination risk.

Semi-apochromat correction provides superior color correction and high transmission across an extended spectral range, from the visible region through the near-infrared. This exceptional optical performance ensures accurate color rendition and enables multi-wavelength imaging applications. The high transmission is particularly valuable for fluorescence microscopy and low-light imaging of living cells.

Plan fluorite optical design provides high image flatness with minimal curvature of field, maintaining sharp focus from the center to the edge of the field of view. This flat-field performance is essential for photomicrography, image analysis, and documentation where uniform image quality across the entire field is required. The plan correction ensures that the entire field of view is usable for observation and imaging.

Designed for use with Olympus CKX and IX series inverted microscopes, this objective is optimized for cell culture and live-cell imaging applications. The inverted configuration allows observation from below, which is ideal for cells growing on the bottom of culture vessels. The robust construction and precision Japanese manufacturing ensure reliable performance in demanding cell culture and research environments.