What Product Categories Does Prior Scientific Offer?

Updated

Prior Scientific organises its microscope automation products into four main categories: Imaging Systems, Imaging Components, Nanopositioning Devices, and Microscope Automation — plus a Contract Manufacturing service for custom and OEM work. Use the category that matches your starting point: if you need a complete automated platform, start with Imaging Systems; if you already own a microscope and want to motorise it, start with Microscope Automation or Imaging Components.

Imaging Systems: the OpenStand platform

The OpenStand platform is described as flexible, automated, and fully customizable, suitable for optical microscopy and imaging. It comes in three basic configurations:

  • Upright — for standard transmitted-light and reflected-light work
  • Inverted — for live-cell and below-stage access applications
  • Large-format — for larger samples or custom development projects

Prior positions OpenStand for applications and development projects across life sciences and industry. Choose this category when you want a complete system rather than components to add to an existing frame.

Imaging Components

This is the category for motorised parts that go into a microscope system:

  • Motorized stages
  • Focus drives
  • Laser autofocus
  • Filter wheels
  • Objective changers
  • Filter turrets
  • Single-axis Z stages

If your goal is to add motorised movement, focusing, or optical switching to a setup you already have, this is the relevant category. Recent product examples listed by Prior include the HF108FC widefield filter turret, the HF108B high-speed ultra-thin filter wheel, the ProScan H100A motorized XY stage, and the HZ106 motorized XYZ deck.

Nanopositioning Devices

For the fastest and most accurate objective and sample positioning, with travel up to 1 mm. This category sits at the high-precision end of the range — relevant when resolution and speed of positioning matter more than travel range.

Microscope Automation

This category covers components for automating an existing microscope, and Prior states compatibility with Olympus, Nikon, Leica, Zeiss, and Prior OpenStand frames, among others. Choose this when you want to upgrade a microscope you already own rather than buy a new platform.

Contract Manufacturing

For OEMs and custom requirements, Prior offers design and manufacturing services. Use this route when no standard product matches your specification and you need a custom product built to your requirements.

Applications as a way in

If you are unsure which category fits, Prior lists applications that map onto typical workflows: atomic force microscopy, super-resolution and confocal microscopy, automated fluorescence microscopy, high content screening automation, automated high throughput screening, metrology automation, and automated slide scanning pathology. Finding your application first is often the quickest way to narrow down the right category.