The CELESTA light engine delivers ~1000 milliwatts of output power from each of its seven lasers at the distal end of a 1.5 mm diameter optical fiber. The laser outputs are allied to sophisticated control and monitoring systems to deliver the performance needed for spinning disk confocal microscopy, optogenetics and other advanced imaging applications. Lumencor’s complementary ZIVA light engine® is optimized for applications requiring light output coupling via narrow bore (≤200 µm diameter), low numerical aperture optical fibers. 

The control system of the CELESTA features an onboard computer with an embedded command library. These commands give access not only to the basic control functions of output channel selection, on/off switching and output intensity adjustment, but also to an extensive panel of operating status reports and preference settings. A GUI resident on the onboard computer and viewed using a web browser via a LAN connection, provides convenient access to many of the command library functions. TTL trigger inputs are provided for all seven output lines for applications requiring fast (100 microseconds) switching. Long-term output stability is sustained by active stabilization. An onboard photodiode continuously monitors the light output and generates a reference signal that can be applied to the constituent sources in a feedback loop to maintain constant light output over time.