The Exicor® Birefringence MicroImager enables fast, reliable, and fully quantitative measurement of birefringence in biological and industrial materials—without the need for dyes or fluorescent labels.
The system directly measures and images retardation, angle, and intensity with sub‑micron spatial resolution, high sensitivity, and a wide measurement range. Users can view data as intensity, birefringence/retardation, angle, or any combination of these, with fully customisable colour maps to optimise visualisation for specific samples.
Advanced software tools provide maximum, average, and standard deviation values across entire images as well as along user‑defined regions or lines, while histogram functions support detailed statistical analysis.
The Exicor® Birefringence MicroImager enables researchers in both academic and industrial environments to evaluate birefringence in biological and engineered materials. With spatial resolution down to 0.18 µm, a detection limit (noise floor) of 2 nm, and a measurement range exceeding 3500 nm, the system delivers fast, reliable measurements in a fully integrated package that includes the camera, optics, electronics, precision sample stage, and software.
The system offers a four‑colour configuration with red, orange, green, or blue light sources and is supplied as standard with a 5× objective (0.74 µm resolution). Optional 2×, 10×, and 20× objectives are also available, with a turret capable of accommodating up to four objectives simultaneously. The Exicor MicroImager includes built‑in phase‑unwrapping software for accurate determination of high‑birefringence samples (greater than 300 nm). Using a proprietary algorithm, the software estimates the true retardation magnitude up to 3500 nm. The system can also be customised with alternative wavelength sources upon request.
The Hinds Birefringence Imaging Microscope is ideally suited for measuring birefringence in biological structures, glass, crystals, and a wide range of other organic and inorganic materials.
| Retardation Repeatability1 | ≤ 0.5 nm (3 sigma) | |
| Light Source Wavelengths | Red, Orange, Green, Blue | |
| Retardation Measurement Range | 2 nm – 0.5λ (1 Color) | |
| Phase Unwrapping to 3500 nm | ||
| Measurement Speed2 | Nominal 15 sec | |
| Dimensions: Footprint | 36.1 cm x 26.5 cm | |
| Height | 77.1 cm | |
| Stage Travel (x, y) | 75 mm, 56 mm | |
| Resolution and Field of View | ||
| Imager | Pixel Resolution | 2464 px x 2056 px |
| Bit-Depth | 12 bits | |
| Objective3 | Resolution, µm | Field of View, mm |
| 2X | 2 | 4.941 x 4.123 |
| 5X | 0.74 | 1.83 x 1.53 |
| 10X | 0.36 | 0.876 x 0.731 |
| 20X | 0.18 | 0.437 x 0.364 |
The Exicor® platform from Hinds Insrtuments is designed to be highly adaptable, enabling custom configuration to meet the specific requirements of advanced birefringence measurement applications. Originally developed for nanometre‑range, industrialised birefringence measurement, Exicor systems were engineered in recognition that polarisation analysis—particularly birefringence measurement—is frequently driven by application‑specific and non‑standard requirements.
Many customer processes are proprietary in nature and require measurement solutions that can be adapted both quickly and cost‑effectively. To support this, Exicor systems utilise a modular architecture, incorporating configurable optical and electronic subsystems that can be assembled and tailored with minimal non‑recurring engineering (NRE) effort. This approach allows customised system configurations to be delivered efficiently, while maintaining proven performance and measurement reliability.
The Exicor product family includes over three dozen system models, a significant proportion of which represent custom or semi‑custom configurations developed to address specific measurement challenges. This flexibility enables Exicor systems to support a wide range of research, development, and production environments where standard, off‑the‑shelf solutions may not be sufficient.
By combining modular system design with advanced polarisation and birefringence measurement technology, Exicor systems provide users with tailored measurement capability—supporting improved process control, enhanced product performance, and increased competitiveness in precision optics and advanced materials markets.
The Exicor® Birefringence MicroImager is used across a wide range of scientific and industrial applications where accurate, non‑destructive stress and birefringence analysis is essential. In the life sciences, it enables detailed characterisation of birefringent biological structures such as collagen, muscle fibres, and other anisotropic tissues without the need for dyes or fluorescent labels.
In industrial and materials research, the system is widely applied to the analysis of glass, crystals, polymers, thin films, and optical components, supporting quality control, failure analysis, and process optimisation. It is also well suited to micro‑scale investigations in semiconductor devices and advanced materials, where understanding local stress distributions is critical to performance and reliability.
Exicor® MicroImager™ Product Bulletin
Exicor® MicroImager™ User Manual
Exicor® MicroImager™ Dimensions
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