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This section provides an overview for polarizing microscopes as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 14 polarizing microscope manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked polarizing microscope companies as of January, 2025: 1.Naugramedical, 2.Motic, 3.SCOPE.
Table of Contents
A polarizing microscope is an optical microscope that selects and observes polarized light.
Optical microscopes used in science experiments observe all light reflected from a material through an eyepiece. Light is a wave in which the electric and magnetic fields oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel. Light with a regular direction of oscillation in the electric field is called polarized light. A polarizing microscope observes polarized light that is reflected from a material and vibrates in a specific direction.
Linearly polarized light is shone on a material, and changes in the polarization state can be observed as color or light/darkness. When polarized light is selected and observed with a microscope, it is possible to identify the state and components of a substance.
Polarizing microscopes were originally used to determine the state and composition of minerals. However, they are now also used in the development of polymers and biotechnology. Changes in polarization state reflect molecular orientation and crystal structure, allowing evaluation of the internal structure of polymers. Furthermore, in combination with temperature control equipment, phase transition behavior can be observed.
One of the major discoveries made using polarizing microscopes is liquid crystals. Liquid crystals, which are liquid but have a molecular arrangement similar to that of solids, were first observed with polarizing microscopes, leading to the development of today's liquid crystal televisions and other products.
In addition, many biological materials have a state and molecular structure equivalent to liquid crystals, and polarizing microscopes will continue to play an active role in the medical and pharmaceutical fields in the future.
Polarizing microscopes use filters to select the polarization of light, producing optical microscope images that reflect the optical properties of the sample.
An ordinary optical microscope consists of a light source, a sample stage, and an objective lens. Light emitted from the light source strikes a material, which enters the objective lens and can be observed through the eyepiece. The principle of polarizing microscopes is basically the same as that of an optical microscope, except that a polarizer is placed between the light source and the sample, and two polarizing plates called an analyzer (analyzer) are placed between the objective lens and the eyepiece lens.
The light emitted from the light source is natural light, the same as fluorescent light, including all directions. This light is converted to polarized light by transmitting it through the polarizer and shining it on the material to be observed. Polarized light that has changed direction when transmitted through a material passes through an analyzer in a cross-nicol arrangement that is perpendicular to the polarizer and can be observed.
When a sample with no anisotropic refractive index is observed with polarizing microscopes, the linearly polarized light emitted from the polarizer does not change its polarization state and cannot pass through the analyzer, so the field of view when observed through the eyepiece is dark.
When observing a sample whose refractive index differs according to the direction of polarization (birefringence), if the direction of oscillation of the incident linearly polarized light is aligned with the optical axis of the sample, the polarization state of the incident light does not change and the field of view is dark, as described above. On the other hand, when the oscillation direction of the incident light is different from the optical axis of the sample, the incident light is divided into two polarization components due to the birefringence of the sample, and the composite component is different from the polarization state before the sample transmission. The change in polarization state causes the light to pass through the analyzer, resulting in a bright field of view.
Images from a polarizing microscope appear tinted due to the optical path difference between the two light components caused by the birefringence of the sample. In polarizing microscopes, the stage on which the material is placed can be rotated 360° in order to change the angle of polarized light with respect to the optical axis of the sample.
Polarizing microscopes use techniques that can be used in combination with other optical measurement methods because they can study crystal domains and even their orientation.
1. Fluorescence Measurement
Polarizing microscopes can be used in combination with fluorescence measurement. Normal fluorescence measurements are ensemble information obtained from various positions and orientations of the crystal domains. However, since the optical properties change depending on the orientation of the crystal domains, polarizing microscopes, which can identify the crystal orientation, come into play. Polarizing microscopes allow us to observe the emission of polarization information in a specific direction by injecting a laser with a specific direction of polarization in the incident light.
2. Time-Resolved Measurement
Polarizing microscopes can also be used in combination with time-resolved spectroscopy. While ordinary time-resolved spectroscopy provides ensemble information from various positions and orientations of crystal domains, polarizing microscopy allows time-resolved spectroscopic measurements of absorption and emission by determining the orientation and position of crystal domains.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Nikon Instruments Inc., established in 1917 and headquartered in Melville, NY, is a manufacturer of optical technologies. The company offers confocal and multiphoton microscopes, super-resolution microscopes, high-content imaging, and other products, four of which received awards from the Expert Imaging and Sound Association in 2022 and 2023. It provides solutions that align with UN Corporate Responsibility principles and are used in the life sciences, clinical research, education, and OEM industries, and it provides extensive learning resources while operating bioimaging centers worldwide.
Chongqing Optec Instrument Co., Ltd, founded in Chongqing, China in 2004, is a manufacturer of professional microscopes and accessories. The company's product portfolio includes biological microscopes, metallurgical microscopes, inverted microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, and polarizing microscopes. The company exports its products to Europe, Asia, America, and Africa and supplies OEM and ODM services to customers. The company has ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO13485, CE, and RoHs quality certificates and also offers after sales services.
Naugramedical, established in 2015, is headquartered in India and China and is a manufacturer, supplier, and exporter of medical and hospital laboratory instruments. Naugramedical manufactures medical laboratory equipment, catering to several hospitals, nursing homes, and medical clinics globally. NaugraMedical provides an extensive assortment of diagnostic products and serves as a supplier and exporter of medical laboratory equipment. The medical business recognizes the significance of superior LED operating room lights. The surgical operating theater lights were designed using cutting-edge technology to cater precisely to the needs of modern operating rooms and hospital operating theater rooms.
Chongqing MIC Technology Co. Ltd is located in Chongqing, China, and is a manufacturer of microscopes and optical instruments. The company was originally founded in 1958 before merging with Chongqing Optical Electrical Instrument Factory in 2011. The company offers its MIC-A10 series digital biological microscopes for biological analysis applications, and its MIC-NE series standard microscopes for laboratory or educational use. It also offers specialized models, such as its MIC-Y50 series fluorescent microscopes, used in fluorescence microscopy operations for biological research or medical diagnosis. The company’s products are mainly used by clients in the healthcare, education, and medical R&D sectors.
BestScope International Limited, founded in China in 1998, is a manufacturer specializing in microscopes, cameras, industrial cameras, and microscope accessories. The company has 33,000 square meters of factory and nearly a thousand of employees and its products are exported to more than 90 countries around the world. The company produces high quality microscopes and other related products such as biological microscopes, automatic microscopes, and Wifi and HDMI microscope cameras and provides customized services.
I7 Opto Electronics Inc., founded in Haryana, India in 2000, is a manufacturer of laboratory and metallurgical microscopes and biosafety cabinets. The company's product range consists of metallurgical microscopes, stereo zoom microscopes, and stereo dissecting microscopes. Its infrastructure unit is broken into procurement, R&D, production, quality testing, logistics, and warehousing that allow to carry out the manufacturing process in an efficient way. The company mainly exports its products to Nepal.
Pulse Life Science, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, is a projecting manufacturer and supplier specializing in advanced biotechnology solutions. Their extensive product range encompasses laboratory equipment, cell culture technologies, bioreactors, and specialized consumables. Pulse Life Science plays a pivotal role in scientific research, offering essential tools for diverse applications, from pharmaceutical development to regenerative medicine. For its quality and modernization, the company is an integral partner in driving progress across the life sciences sector, aiding discoveries and breakthroughs globally.
Radical Scientific Equipments Pvt. Ltd. is a microscope, profile projector, optical instrument, microtomes and educational laboratory equipment manufacturer based in 1975 in Haryana, India. The company has a diverse product catalog, making its items present in multiple industries. It produces numerous types of items, like multi head obersvation, cell culture or projection microscopes, as well as infrared thermograpgy cameras or gem inspection instruments. In addition, the venture counts with multiple standard quotas, including the ISO 9001:205, 14001:2015, FDA, WHO-HMP, CE&BIS certificates.
Central Scientific Instrument Corporation, founded in India, in 1943, is a manufacturer of scientific instruments and microscopes. The company's product portfolio includes a polarizing microscope, petrological microscope, transmitted light polarizing microscope, transmitted and incident light polarizing microscope, and Nissho Japan stereo zoom microscopes. The company has ISO 9001: 2008 certification and serves markets such as botany and zoology departments of universities and engineering colleges, as well as anatomy of medical colleges.
Leica Microsystems is a developer and manufacturer of microscopes and scientific instruments for the analysis of microstructures and nanostructures. The company is a provider in compound and stereo microscopy, digital microscopy, confocal user scanning, and super-resolution microscopy with related imaging systems, electron microscopy, sample preparation, and surgical microscopy used in medical, life science, and industrial applications. The company’s services include service plans, preventative maintenance, remote care, and qualification services for ensuring compliance of Leica equipment to governmental regulations.
Euromex Microscopen BV, established in 1966 in Arnhem, the Netherlands, is a subsidiary of Euromex Optics Group BV and a manufacturer and supplier of stereo and biological microscopes and associated optical tools. Majority of the items are microscopes, divided into research, reverse, phase contrast, polarization, and dark field microscopes. Other products include cameras, stereomicroscopes, and optical tools like measuring magnifiers, stem magnifiers, refractometers, warriors loupes, and polarimeters. The business, which has ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certifications, provides services to the education, life science, industrial, biomedical, and jewelry sectors.
Motic is a global manufacturer of various microscopes for educational, medical, and scientific applications. The company was originally founded in 1988 by Hong Kong-based Chinese company Speed Fair Co., Ltd, but now operates primarily out of its US office in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company's product line includes stereo microscopes for 3D visualization and dissection, industrial microscopes for quality control and inspection, and compound microscopes for life science and research. Motic also produces common microscopy parts and accessories, such as replacement bulbs, mount camera adaptors, and stage plates.
Meiji Techno Co., Ltd. (MTC) is a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of optical microscopes originally established in 1964 as Azuma Optics Company before rebranding in 1975. Based in Saitama, the company produces various microscopes for applications in education and life sciences, including inverted, compound, stereo, and polarizing models. These are utilized by clients in laboratory operations and quality control, analysis, and testing within the industrial sector. MTC has manufacturing facilities in Japan and China, with distribution operations in Shanghai, California, and New Jersey. Its North American subsidiary Meiji Techno America was incorporated in 1986, and is located in San Jose.
SCOPE, founded in China, is a supplier of laboratory instruments such as optical microscopes, metallography sample cutting-off machines, metallography polishing and grinding machines, metallography mounting presses, and hardness testers. The company has ISO9001, ISO13485, CE, and RoHS certifications and exports its products to the United States, South Africa, The UK, Europe, and the Middle East. It also provides services such as a one-year free warranty period, free spare parts repair, and after-sales support.
Ranking as of January 2025
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naugramedical |
17.5%
|
| 2 | Leica Microsystems Vertrieb GmbH |
12.5%
|
| 3 | Motic |
10.0%
|
| 4 | SCOPE |
7.5%
|
| 5 | I7 Opto Electronics Inc. |
7.5%
|
| 6 | Central Scientific Instrument Corporation |
7.5%
|
| 7 | Pulse Life Science |
7.5%
|
| 8 | Euromex Microscopen BV |
7.5%
|
| 9 | Nikon Instruments Inc. |
7.5%
|
| 10 | Radical Scientific Equipments Pvt Ltd |
5.0%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the polarizing microscope page as of January 2025. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
India
|
5 | 38.5% |
|
China
|
4 | 30.8% |
|
United States of America
|
1 | 7.7% |
|
Germany
|
1 | 7.7% |
|
Netherlands
|
1 | 7.7% |
|
Japan
|
1 | 7.7% |
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