Olympus WI-DIC40HR DIC Nomarski Prism

The Olympus WI-DIC40HR is a high resolution DIC condenser prism designed for use with the Olympus 40x LUMPlanFL W (LUMPL FL40XW) water immersion objective and the WI-UCD universal condenser on the BX50WI upright water immersion microscope. In differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy, the condenser prism acts as a beamsplitter that introduces a precise angular shear between two polarized light wavefronts before they pass through the specimen — the objective-side prism then recombines them, converting optical path differences caused by specimen refractive index and thickness gradients into amplitude contrast. Because DIC prisms must be precisely matched to the numerical aperture and optical geometry of the objective they are paired with, the WI-DIC40HR is specifically engineered for the 40x LUMPlanFL W objective, ensuring optimal shear distance, wavefront matching, and maximum spatial resolution at this magnification. The WI-UCD universal condenser is designed to house multiple DIC prisms in a revolving turret, allowing rapid switching between objective-matched prisms without removing the condenser. Built to Olympus factory specifications (catalog number U2-CD232), the WI-DIC40HR delivers consistent, high-contrast DIC performance at 40x magnification in water immersion configurations.