Compact x-ray microscope for the water window based on a high brightness laser plasma source.

We present a laser plasma based x-ray microscope for the water window employing a high-average power laser system for plasma generation. At 90 W laser power a brightness of 7.4 x 10(11) photons/(s x sr x µm(2)) was measured for the nitrogen Lyα line emission at 2.478 nm. Using a multilayer condenser mirror with 0.3 % reflectivity 10(6) photons/(µm(2) x s) were obtained in the object plane. Microscopy performed at a laser power of 60 W resolves 40 nm lines with an exposure time of 60 s. The exposure time can be further reduced to 20 s by the use of new multilayer condenser optics and operating the laser at its full power of 130 W.

A simplified light filter for microsurgery.

A simple, no-cost filter has been devised by the authors to prevent potentially harmful light from reaching the retina during a microsurgical procedure. The filter is made by cutting a 6-mm circle from the edge of a Weck-cel package, then soaking it in balanced salt solution. The disc is placed on the cornea except when manipulations are being performed in the anterior chamber.