SENSE 100 AFM Probes — High-Resolution Liquid Imaging, Without the Olympus Wait
Silicon nitride AFM probes built for soft and biological samples in liquid. A direct, in-production equivalent to the Olympus BioLever AC40TS (BL-AC40TS), now available in Europe through Alba Scientific.
What is SENSE 100 AFM probes?
Imaging biomolecules, membrane proteins, and DNA in liquid AFM requires a cantilever that's soft, low-noise, and stable batch to batch. That balance got harder to find after Olympus discontinued its BioLever AC40TS probe line in 2022. SENSE 100 fills that gap: a silicon nitride cantilever with a sharp tetrahedral silicon tip, engineered by NuNano specifically for AC-mode (tapping mode) imaging in liquid, with the same 0.1 N/m spring constant and ~100 kHz resonance range AC40TS users rely on.
- Silicon nitride cantilever for soft and biological samples in liquid
- Direct equivalent to the Olympus BioLever AC40TS
- Consistent, low spring constant — verified below 0.1 N/m batch to batch
- High resonant frequency for low thermal noise and fast scanning
- Ideal for high-resolution imaging, high-speed imaging, and force spectroscopy
- In production and in stock — no reliance on discontinued Olympus supply
Still running AC40TS? Here's what changes — and what doesn't
If your lab standardized protocols around the Olympus BL-AC40TS, SENSE 100 is built to slot in without re-validating your method. Same tip geometry (tetrahedral silicon), same target spring constant (0.1 N/m), same resonance range (around 100 kHz in air). One researcher who ran both side by side put it simply:
"If I was blindfolded, given these, and told that they were AC40s, I wouldn't bat an eyelid."
Imaging the cytoplasmic face
of purple membrane
Dr. Nic Mullin (University of Sheffield) used SENSE 100 on a Bruker FastScan (also validated on a JPK NanoWizard 3), imaging purple membrane from Halobacterium salinarum in buffer using piezo-driven tapping mode. Across three probes tested, spring constants measured 0.0866, 0.0961, and 0.0984 N/m by the Sader method, all consistently below the 0.1 N/m target. Learn more
Imaging self-assembled
glycoproteins on HOPG
Dr. Bizan Balzer (University of Freiburg, Germany) used SENSE 100 on a Cypher ES with blueDrive in water to image porous structures on HOPG, generated from an amphiphilic block copolymer via self-assembly and nonsolvent-induced phase separation (SNIPS). Phase image quality was reported as at least as good as AC40TS. Learn more
Imaging DNA on
mica in liquid
Dr. Hiroaki Sugasawa (Oxford Instruments KK, Japan) used SENSE 100 on a Vero ES with piezo-driven tapping mode to image DNA deposited on mica in liquid, resolving the DNA double helix at small amplitude (1 nm). No double-tip artifacts were observed across three probes tested. Learn more
Imaging DNA origami
Hans Gunstheimer (Nanosurf AG, Switzerland) used SENSE 100 in WaveMode on a DriveAFM to image DNA origami in buffer, with no significant variation observed within the batch and no coating degradation. Learn more
Specifications:
| Parameter | Nominal | Range |
| Radius (nm) | 5 | < 10 |
| Exposed Height (µm) | 2.5 | 2 – 3 |
| Total Height (µm) | 7 | 6 – 8 |
| Set back (µm) | 3.5 | 3 – 4 |
| Shape | Tetrahedral | |
| Cone Angle (°) | 15 | 10 – 30 |
| Cantilever Material | Silicon Nitride | |
| Tip Material | Silicon (n-type, Sb) | |
| Frontside/Tip Coating : | None | |
| Backside/Reflective Coating : | 5nm Ti / 40nm Au | |
Why order through Alba Scientific:
- Typically available ex-stock , no waiting on discontinued Olympus inventory
- Guaranteed quality, consistent from pack to pack
- European distribution and support for NuNano probes
- Fast quotation turnaround
FAQ:
- Is SENSE 100 the same as the Olympus BioLever AC40TS?
SENSE 100 is a separate probe made by NuNano, engineered to match the AC40TS’s key characteristics: tetrahedral silicon tip, silicon nitride cantilever, ~0.1 N/m spring constant, and ~100 kHz resonance. It’s a compatible alternative rather than a licensed copy. - What AFM systems is SENSE 100 compatible with?
It has been used and validated on Bruker FastScan, JPK NanoWizard 3, Oxford Instruments Cypher ES and Vero ES, and Nanosurf DriveAFM, across tapping mode, blueDrive, and WaveMode drive methods. - What samples is SENSE 100 suited for?
Soft and biological samples imaged in liquid: membrane proteins, DNA, glycoproteins, DNA origami, and similar biomolecules, in AC (tapping) mode and force spectroscopy. - Why has demand for AC40TS alternatives increased?
Olympus discontinued its full AFM probe line, including the BL-AC40TS, in September 2022. Remaining original stock is limited and being sold off by resellers as available, driving demand for in-production equivalents like SENSE 100.