Stepping Stage

The digital stepping stage has been designed to replace or upgrade electro-mechanical stepping stages. It is an ideal upgrade from the Prior Swift electro-mechanical stage , a popular device used to point count, that is no longer manufactured. The stepping stage has gone under many names in it's history and is referred to as  Prior, Hacker or Swift stage. It's also called a stepper stage, a stepping stage or a point counter.  

It's slim design allows it to maintain a low profile when placed on the rotary stage of a polarising microscope. The slide is then held in place with a spring loaded arm and can then be moved in variable increments in two axes controlled by a computer via a control cable.

It makes the task of point-counting considerably easier and more efficient, with greater statistical validity, providing :

  • optimum coverage of the usable area of the slide

  • the option to remove a slide, and later continue point counting where it was left off

  • stepping back to the previous point for confirmation or a change of mind

  • marking of points of interest for showing to co-workers, or for later re-analysis

  • revisiting any logged points, in any order

  • quick and easy mounting of standard slide sizes

This versatile stage can be used for so much more than just point-counting:

  • random walks

  • feature following

  • re-locating positions on a slide

  • sharing locations across microscopes, using reference schemes including the popular England Finder

  



 Visit the gallery to see images of the stepping stage.

  
 
As the stepping stage is digitally controlled, compatible software is required to use it.

The stepping stage can be mounted on any* make of microscope rotary stage including Leica, Meiji, Nikon, Olympus, Prior and Zeiss. The mounting configuration for your stage is configured to match your rotary stage.

The stepping stage is also sometimes referred to as a stepper stage, slide stepper, slide stage, microstepper or digital stepper.
Control and data capture with PETROG software		  

Low Profile


The digital stepping stage is designed to have a very low profile  so that it can fit easily on existing rotary stages.

 

  

 
Downloads  
Information sheet