Oxford Instruments, the provider of high-technology products and services for research and industry, has announced the launch of a high-resolution, low-noise, back-illuminated sCMOS camera, further strengthening its broad portfolio of cameras for low-light imaging in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Industrial applications.
The Andor CB2 24B back-illuminated CMOS camera offers high resolution, high sensitivity, high speed, and a global shutter over a wide field of view. Drawing upon decades of heritage in the astronomy and life science domains, the Andor CB2 sCMOS camera platform has been introduced with the CB2 24B model, a state-of-the-art scientific camera designed to deliver high-quality imaging and flexibility for a broad range of scientific and industrial/OEM applications.
The CB2 24B features a back-illuminated 24.5 Megapixel sCMOS sensor that combines high sensitivity with high speeds and a global shutter. This design enables high-resolution imaging over a wide field of view, ensuring detailed image capture without compromise.
As a highly flexible and adaptable camera, the CB2 24B can operate across a wide range of imaging speeds and exposure conditions. It is capable of imaging fast-moving objects or photometric variability at hundreds of frames per second (fps) and capturing extremely low-light signals with exposures lasting several minutes. This is achieved through ultra-low dark current, down to 0.0015 e-/pix/sec, with -20°C TEC cooling. As a result, the CB2 24B provides an alternative to deep-cooled CCD cameras for long-exposure applications such as bioluminescence imaging, astro-photometry, and astro-spectroscopy.
Additionally, the camera includes an 'on-chip' 2x2 pixel binning feature, which allows the native 2.74μm pixel to be converted into a 5.48μm pixel without increasing read noise. This optical flexibility expands the camera's adaptability across various applications. In microscopy, for instance, the effective pixel size can be adjusted to match objectives ranging from 10x to 60x.
The global shutter ‘snapshot’ exposure capability ensures temporal correlation across all pixels and prevents spatial distortion when imaging fast-moving objects. This makes the camera well-suited for applications such as particle imaging velocimetry for fluid dynamics, where a short inter-frame gap is essential. The absence of a mechanical shutter reduces maintenance needs, making it an ideal solution for remote astronomy and X-ray tomography. Furthermore, the CB2 24B has been qualified for operation in temperatures as low as -40°C, making it suitable for use in high-altitude and harsh environments.
Andor CB2 sCMOS camera specifications
- Sensor Type: Back-illuminated sCMOS (stacked)
- Array Format: 5328 x 4608 (24.5 Megapixels)
- Pixel Size: 2.74 µm (5.48 µm binned)
- Sensor Diagonal: 19.3 mm
- On-chip 2x2 Binning: Yes (no read noise sacrifice)
- Shutter Mode: Global shutter
- Quantum Efficiency (QE) Max: 74%
- Read Noise: 1.3 e-
- Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC): 12-bit native
- Well Depth: 9500 e-
- HDR Mode (Data Range): Yes (16-bit)
- Air Cooling: 0 °C (+25 °C ambient)
- Liquid Cooling: -20 °C (+25 °C liquid)
- Dark Current (Liquid Cooling): 0.0015 e-/p/s (-20 °C)
Frame rates
CoaXPress (CXP):
- 74 fps | 12-bit
- 22 fps | 16-bit (HDR)
GigE:
- 32 fps | 12-bit
- 22 fps | 16-bit (HDR)
CoaXPress (CXP) with 2x2 Binning:
- 161 fps | 12-bit
- n/a | 16-bit (HDR)
Andor CB2 features
- Monochrome back-illuminated global shutter sCMOS - Back-illuminated sCMOS sensor with high QE and a very low 1.3e- rms read noise provides exceptional sensitivity through the visible spectrum. By incorporating a global shutter architecture, a “snapshot” image can be taken which provides true temporal accuracy across the field of view. This avoids the temporal distortions that can be found when imaging dynamic processes using the more common rolling shutter sCMOS designs.
- High resolution sensor format - With 24.5 Megapixel array and small 2.74 µm pixel size it is possible to image much wider areas at lower magnifications in full resolution greatly improving productivity. For example, by using a 10x objective you can capture four times the information in each snap as when using a 20x objective. When compared to a standard 6.5 µm pixel size 4.2 Megapixel cameras at 40x, even greater improvements in throughput can be achieved.
- On-chip 2x2 Binning - CB2 uniquely offers on-chip 2x2 binning of sCMOS pixels, allowing the native 2.74µm pixel to be converted to a 5.48µm pixel without doubling of read noise (which would otherwise be expected for sCMOS technology). This inherent optical flexibility significantly expands the application adaptability of the camera. For example, in fluorescence microscopy, a 2.74µm pixel is ideal for x10 to x40 low magnification imaging of large samples, whereas 5.48µm is better suited to high sensitivity imaging of samples with x60/High NA objective lenses. In astronomy, it also renders CB2 more optically adaptable to range of telescopes.
- Low dark current sCMOS - For longer exposure applications of seconds to minutes duration, such as luminescence imaging or astronomy, it is thermal noise (dark current) that is the main source of noise that sets the ultimate limit of detection. Typically, slow scan deep cooled CCD cameras have remained the most suitable detectors for these applications as they have orders of magnitude lower dark current than sCMOS and their slow readout speed is not important. However, the new CB2 24B is different to most sCMOS; it features an ultra-low dark current sensor which when combined with cooling provides ‘CCD-like’ dark current of 0.0015 e-/p/s.
- High Speed - Delivering 74 fps (full resolution) in 12-bit and 37 fps HDR mode, and much faster still with Region of Interest and/or pixel binning, CB2 24B can measure fast dynamic variability. Furthermore, the negligible readout time of a high-res sensor vastly exceeds that of CCDs, ideal for astro-photometry with minimal dead time between exposures.
- Temperature management - Air cooling provides effective cooling to 0 °C for most applications. Liquid cooling boosts cooling down to -20 °C providing the lowest possible dark current at long exposures, or for vibration sensitive applications such as electrophysiology.
- Selectable read-out options - 8-bits, 10-bits, 12-bits, 16-bits modes: Trade-off between frame rate and dynamic range. HDR mode is available to capture the full image information across an wide 16-bit data range.
- Adjustable Gain - Default options for selection of High gain or Low gain allows easy adjustment for sensitivity or extended dynamic range. In addition, advanced users can fine-tune sensitivity and dynamic range to suit their specific requirements using 24dB analog gain and up to 48 dB of digital gain.
- Multi-windowing and Region of Interest (ROI) - User-selectable regions of interest allow cropped sensor operation to boost frame rates even further, while multiple regions of interest can also be set enhancing your application possibilities.
- Compact Design - CB2 24B packages a large area sensor, thermoelectric and liquid cooling and multiple connectivity options within a space efficient design, keeping the overall size of the camera to a minimum. The dimensions of the CB2 24B are 177.50 x 93 x 77.5 mm (LxWxH), while weight is 1.1 kg. This allows for ease of integration in most imaging and detection systems.
- Lens mounting - The large 19.7 mm diagonal sensor of the CB2 24B comes with a native C-mount for broad compatibility and wide field of view across most modern microscopes, and optics. A TFL-mount is available to avoid vignetting that may be possible in certain applications that have large optical apertures.
- High speed data interface options - Supporting the high data output of the camera are high-speed data interface options. CoaXPress and 10 GigE provide stable, low latency performance over longer distances.
- Low temperature qualified - CB2 24B has been qualified for operation down to -40 °C ambient, ideal for observing in high altitude harsh environments.
CB2 by First Light Imaging - Andor - Oxford Instruments
"The CB2 24B delivers a high frame rate of 74 fps at full 24.5-megapixel resolution, which can be increased to 283 fps with 2x2 on-chip binning. Combined with long exposure capability, low dark current, and zero amplifier glow, this camera can detect variability across a broad range of timescales. It is well-suited for rapid applications such as ion flux microscopy, cell motility, ion-trap quantum computing, hyperspectral imaging, adaptive optics, and speckle interferometry. Additionally, it supports long exposure applications such as in-vivo bioluminescence, gel documentation, and cosmology," stated Dr. Colin Coates, Head of Product Management.
The CB2 24B was developed by First Light Imaging, which became part of Oxford Instruments Andor in January 2024. The camera was created as part of a collaborative project involving the Fresnel Institute (CNRS) and the Marseille Cancer Research Center (CRCM - INSERM). Led by First Light Imaging, the project also included two industrial partners, Exavision (Equans group) and Photon Lines. Its primary goal was to provide the scientific community with a state-of-the-art imaging tool for cancer research, particularly focusing on leukemia detection. Funding for the project was provided by the French Government, the Région Sud, and Aix-Marseille Métropole, with additional support from Bpifrance and French competitiveness clusters (Aktantis, formerly SCS, Safe, and Eurobiomed).
"For this project, collaboration with university biology and cancer research laboratories allowed the adaptation of cutting-edge technologies originally developed for astronomy to life sciences. The goal was to address needs that were previously unfulfilled by traditional cameras. The resulting product provides ultra-high performance and unprecedented versatility, opening new possibilities in life sciences and other scientific disciplines. Researchers are now supported with cutting-edge imaging solutions that were previously out of reach," stated Dr. Jean-Luc Gach, Chief Technologist and Founder of First Light Imaging.
The CB2 24B has high sensitivity, speed, and global shutter for low-light imaging
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