What is Prior Scientific?

Updated

Prior Scientific is a microscope automation and precision positioning company that supplies automated microscope components, imaging systems, and custom OEM solutions. According to its own site, it has been providing automated microscope parts and solutions for over 100 years. It is relevant to you if you need to automate an existing microscope, build a custom imaging platform, or source motorized stages, focus drives, or nanopositioning hardware for life science or industrial applications.

What Prior Scientific does

The company describes itself as "experts in precision positioning and microscope automation." Its business splits into four product directions plus a custom manufacturing service:

Category What it covers
Imaging Systems The OpenStand platform — a flexible, automated, fully customizable system for optical microscopy and imaging, with upright, inverted, and large-format basic configurations
Imaging Components Motorized stages, focus drives, laser autofocus, filter wheels, objective changers, filter turrets, and single-axis Z stages
Nanopositioning Devices Objective and sample positioning with travel up to 1 mm, positioned as the fastest and most accurate option in the range
Microscope Automation Components to automate existing microscopes, including Olympus, Nikon, Leica, Zeiss, and Prior OpenStand systems
Contract Manufacturing Custom product design and manufacturing for OEMs

Who it is for

The applications listed on the site indicate the intended users:

  • Atomic force microscopy
  • Super-resolution and confocal microscopy
  • Automated fluorescence microscopy
  • High content screening automation
  • Automated high throughput screening
  • Metrology automation
  • Automated slide scanning pathology

In practice this means life science research labs, industrial inspection and metrology teams, and OEMs that need a custom instrument built rather than an off-the-shelf product.

Two ways to work with Prior

Automate what you already have. If you own a microscope from Olympus, Nikon, Leica, or Zeiss, Prior supplies components to motorize and automate it rather than requiring a full replacement.

Build something custom. The OpenStand platform and the contract manufacturing service are aimed at development projects where a standard configuration will not fit. The site explicitly invites contact for custom products against specific requirements.

What's current on the site

The latest products listed are the HF108FC widefield filter turret, HF108B high-speed ultra-thin filter wheel, ProScan H100A motorized XY stage, and HZ106 motorized XYZ deck. The site also notes a new compact single-axis controller described as offering "premium" performance, alongside a microscopy and precision positioning glossary and a Semicon West event listing.

How to decide if it fits your need

  • If you need to motorize an existing microscope, start with the Microscope Automation category and check whether your brand is covered.
  • If you are building a new imaging system, look at the OpenStand imaging systems and the upright/inverted/large-format configurations.
  • If your requirement is sub-millimetre precision positioning, the nanopositioning devices (up to 1 mm travel) are the relevant line.
  • If nothing standard fits, the contract manufacturing route is the intended path — the site frames this as design and manufacturing services for OEMs.

The site does not publish pricing, so cost and configuration have to be established through direct contact.