Olympus LUMPLANFL N 40X Water Immersion (Dipping) Microscope Objective (NA 0.80, Infinity)

The Olympus LUMPLANFL N 40X Water Dipping Objective (N2667700) is a specialized high-performance objective designed for deep tissue fluorescence imaging and electrophysiology in living brain slices and tissue preparations. Water dipping objectives are essential tools in neuroscience and physiology research, enabling direct optical access to living tissue in open recording chambers while maintaining the tissue in physiological saline.

The 40× magnification and 0.80 numerical aperture provide exceptional resolution and light-gathering capability, enabling visualization of fine cellular structures, dendritic spines, and subcellular compartments in living neurons. This magnification strikes an optimal balance between resolution and field of view, making it ideal for examining individual neurons and their processes while maintaining context of surrounding tissue. The high NA is critical for fluorescence imaging where light collection efficiency directly impacts signal-to-noise ratio, and for infrared differential interference contrast (IR-DIC) imaging which is the gold standard for visualizing living neurons in brain slices for patch-clamp recording.

The 3.3mm working distance provides generous clearance for deep tissue penetration while accommodating patch pipettes, stimulation electrodes, and other experimental tools. This working distance enables imaging neurons located 50–200 micrometers deep in brain slices—the typical depth range for healthy, viable neurons in acute slice preparations. The dipping design allows the objective to be lowered directly into the recording chamber, with the front lens element immersed in the physiological saline bathing the tissue.

The LUMPLANFL N (Long-distance Universal Medium Plan Fluorite) optical design incorporates semi-apochromat (fluorite) glass elements that provide excellent chromatic aberration correction across a broad wavelength range. This correction is essential for multi-color fluorescence imaging where GFP, YFP, RFP, and other fluorophores are imaged simultaneously, and for IR-DIC imaging combined with visible fluorescence—a common workflow in neuroscience where IR-DIC guides electrode placement while fluorescence identifies genetically labeled cell populations.

The field number 26.5 provides a wide field of view that enables observation of multiple neurons, dendritic arbors, or tissue regions simultaneously—valuable for understanding cellular interactions, network activity, and tissue organization.

This objective is compatible with Olympus BX (upright) series microscopes, the standard platform for electrophysiology and brain slice imaging. The RMS thread mount ensures compatibility with standard microscope nosepieces.