Leica Microsystems GmbH is a leading global manufacturer of optical microscope

Optical microscope

The optical microscope, often referred to as the "light microscope", is a type of microscope which uses visible light and a system of lenses to magnify images of small samples. Optical microscopes are the oldest design of microscope and were possibly designed in their present compound form in the...

s, equipment for the preparation of microscopic specimens and related products. There are ten plants in eight countries with distribution partners in over 100 countries. Leica Microsystems has emerged in 1997 as one of three successor companies of Ernst Leitz GmbH founded in 1869.

The company employed over 4,000 workers and had a $1 billion turnover in 2008. It is headquartered in Wetzlar

Wetzlar

Wetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, the company is represented in over 100 countries.

The company manufactures products for applications requiring microscopic imaging, measurement and analysis. It also offers system solutions in the areas of Life Science including biotechnology and medicine, as well as the science of raw materials and industrial quality assurance.

Product categories: Virtual microscope

Virtual microscope

The Virtual Microscope project is an initiative to make micromorphology and behavior of some small organisms available online. Images are from Antarctica and the Baltic Sea and available at no cost. Images are offered in higher magnification or lower resolution...

s, Light microscopes, products for Confocal Microscopy

Confocal microscopy

Confocal microscopy is an optical imaging technique used to increase optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by using point illumination and a spatial pinhole to eliminate out-of-focus light in specimens that are thicker than the focal plane. It enables the reconstruction of...

, Surgical Microscopes, Stereo Microscope

Stereo microscope

The stereo or dissecting microscope is an optical microscope variant designed for low magnification observation or a sample using incident light illumination rather than transillumination. It uses two separate optical paths with two objectives and two eyepieces to provide slightly different viewing...

s & Macroscope

Macroscope

Macroscope is a novel by science fiction and fantasy writer Piers Anthony. It was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1970.Macroscope was first published in 1969 and in some respects reflects the idealistic values of that time...

s, Digital microscope

Digital microscope

A digital microscope is a variation of a traditional optical microscope that uses optics and a charge-coupled device camera to output a digital image to a monitor, sometimes by means of software running on a computer. A digital microscope differs from an optical microscope in that there is no...

s, Microscope Software, Microscope Cameras, Histology

Histology

Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...

 Systems, Novocastra Reagents, Electron microscope

Electron microscope

An electron microscope is a type of microscope that uses a beam of electrons to illuminate the specimen and produce a magnified image. Electron microscopes have a greater resolving power than a light-powered optical microscope, because electrons have wavelengths about 100,000 times shorter than...

 Sample Preparation Equipment

Sample Preparation Equipment

Sample preparation equipment refers to equipment used for the preparation of physical specimens for subsequent microscopy or related disciplines - including failure analysis and quality control...

Corporate website: http://www.leica-microsystems.com.

In the field of high resolution optical microscopy they produce commercial versions of the STED microscope offering sub-diffraction resolution. In 2007 they launched the TCS STED which operates at a resolution <100 nm and in 2009 they came out with the TCS STED CW using a CW laser light source where a resolution <80 nm can be achieved.

On September 29, 2011 Leica Microsystem and TrueVision 3D Surgical has announced that they will produce products with advance optical and digital technologies to improve microsurgery outcomes in Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...

 and Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery

Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...

under the Leica brand.