Case Study
How ZEISS Predictive Service Helps the
University of Lausanne Maintain Their Imaging Systems

ZEISS Predictive Service - Case Study

How ZEISS Predictive Service Helps theUniversity of Lausanne Maintain Their Imaging Systems
Founded as a School of Theology in the 16th century, The

overheating in the LSM 980’s GaASP detector. Confocal

University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland is one of the oldest

microscopes use photomultiplier modules (PMTs) located at theuniversities that continues to be open to this day. Nowadays, thesystem’s scan head as photometric detectors that offer higher

university has around 17,000 students and 4,000 staff members

imaging speed and can detect light at low levels.

across seven faculties.

GaASP (Gallium Arsenide Phosphide) detectors are designed forAmong UNIL’s many research focus areas are medicine and life

even higher light sensitivity, especially for weak signals and red

and environmental sciences. Research in these fields requires

and far red fluorophores. At the same time, GaASP detectors

the university to rely on different imaging systems, including

reduce the amount of laser power applied to live samples, hence

ZEISS instruments. Employing the latest technologies helps UNIL

preventing their deterioration, and also provide a better signal-

to keep up with the state-of-the-art research in these scientificto-noise ratio.

fields. Therefore, acquiring and using cutting-edge imaging
instruments are a key part of the university’s efforts to grow.

The challenge: ensure the highest
image quality and availability
UNIL’s Department of Fundamental Microbiology (DFM) uses
a ZEISS LSM 980 confocal microscope for imaging. This is one

If it persists, overheating in the scan head can reduce theimaging quality. Further, it can also critically damage the systemand halt its usage.

The solution: troubleshooting errors
with Predictive Service to prevent
downtimeof three confocal microscopes in the university and the only
confocal microscope in the DFM, essential for the work of its

Upon receiving the overheating notification from Predictive

more than a dozen research units.

Service, tech support engineers got in touch with theDepartment and told them about the problem. When asked

Confocal microscopes have become fundamental in biologicalif they had seen anything unusual, the system users noticed aresearch. Compared to other imaging technologies they do notproblem with the signal-to-noise ratio falling out of the normal

necessarily provide the highest resolution images but are highly

parameters. Decreasing signal-to-noise ratio diminishes image

flexible. They also benefit from simpler preparation requirements

quality making imaging of weakly fluorescing or fine structures

than some of the more specialized imaging techniques.

challenging.

Due to the specificity of confocal microscopy, the LSM 980
is critical for the DFM. Likewise, the variety of research units
and their projects within the DFM always demand operational
availability. This is where ZEISS Predictive Service comes in.
While in use, Predictive Service unobtrusively collects
information about the system performance in the background.
Through a secure connection, relevant system data from thesystem´s acquisition workstation get transferred to the ZEISSPredictive Service Server. From there, engineers can look at it
and diagnose the system remotely. Predictive Service sends themalerts proactively if it detects something unusual or that requires
their evaluation. In this way, they can spot potential problems
before the customer becomes aware of an issue.

Figure 1 ZEISS LSM 980 with Airyscan 2 and Elyra 7 dualcam on Axio
Observer 7 with monitor

In this case, Predictive Service warned tech support about2

ZEISS Predictive Service - Case Study

The customer was happy because they did not have to pay forthe new part since they were under a warranty extension, partof the premium contract they have with ZEISS.
The customer was even happier because the repair was coveredby their Protect Service Agreement with ZEISS. Crucially,
the department’s work was never put on hold during thetroubleshooting and fixing process. Researchers continued
to work because the engineer moved the signal to anotherdetector, the Airyscan 2, their LSM 980’s area detector. No
research time was lost.
Figure 2 Cos-7 cells Anti-TOM20 AF750 (red), Anti-Tubulin AF700 (cyan),
Actin Phalloidin-OG488 (magenta), DAPI (orange). Imaged with LSM 980
with LSM Plus, including the ZEISS NIR detector in channel mode. The
fluorescent signals were separated by Linear Unmixing, facilitating clear
separation between the spectrally overlapping dyes Alexa 700 and Alexa
750. Sample courtesy of U. Ziegler and J. Doehner, University of Zurich,ZMB, Switzerland.

Predictive Service was also able to help tech support diagnose
a problem with the room temperature system of the client,preventing other potential failures in this and any other
instruments located in the same room. At the same time, during
monitoring, problem diagnosing, and troubleshooting, since
Predictive Service ran in the background, it did not disturb thework of the department, or the tech support engineers.

Tech support thought at first that the source of the problem
could be the room temperature. They enquired with theIn research facilities throughout the world, Predictive ServiceDepartment about the room conditions and asked if someone

runs as a transparent solution for remote monitoring, part ofcould check their air conditioning. After inspecting their air

ZEISS’s efforts to offer unmatched support, improve customer

system, the department found that the room’s conditioning wasexperience, and optimize instrument performance. Predictive

not working properly and needed fixing.

Service is installed in the ZEISS microscope’s acquisition
workstation with the authorization of the customer during

After the air conditioning was repaired and room returned toinstallation.

normal temperature, it was time to find out if the detector
continued to overheat. Unfortunately, despite the room repair,

No collection or sharing of personal information and images

the microscope continued to report overheating.

taken by the microscope is required. Predictive Service enables
performance data to be shared to ZEISS tech support engineers.

An engineer went on-site to check the system and upon

Selected operational data insights are also available for Protect

inspection found that the GaASP detector cooling was defective.

Service Agreement customers via the ZEISS Portal.

A new part was ordered and fitted soon after. At the change ofthe detector, the temperature went back to the expected values.

How Predictive Service Works:•Predictive Service comes pre-installed on every new X-ray Microscope as well as a number of our Electron Microscopy and Light
Microscopy systems. You can choose to enable it and take advantage of the benefits available, or not.

•Once connected to your network, Predictive Service will monitor the health of your system – ensuring that it is running aseffectively as possible.

•System condition information is shared between your microscope and ZEISS servers via a secure connection, ensuring thehighest levels of data security. No image data or research information is accessed or shared.

•Predictive Service evaluates the performance of your microscope over time to ensure your microscope runs as efficiently andconsistently as possible.

•If the system behaves abnormally, ZEISS engineers are alerted, can monitor the microscope’s performance remotely, and thenstudy the analytics data to understand what needs to be rectified. All this happens whilst you continue to conduct your research
uninterrupted.

3Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH07745 Jena, Germany
Service and Customer Caremicroscopy@zeiss.com
www.zeiss.com/microscopy

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EN_043_012_260 Printed in Germany CZ-092022
Subject to change in design and scope of delivery and as a result of ongoing technical development.