Thermo Fisher Scientific launches new Pathfinder X-ray microanalysis software

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the launch of a new X-ray microanalysis software package to complement its electron microscopy imaging instruments.

The Pathfinder X-ray microanalysis software is designed for analytical microscope users conducting research and routine analysis, allowing them to carry out more comprehensive and efficient microscopic studies on complex samples.

It is able to process incoming data from X-ray detector technology and provide a real-time statistical map of the chemical constituents within a sample, working in unison with scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes.

Key features of the software include its COMPASS phase mapping capabilities, its spectral match database and advanced algorithms for background subtraction, peak deconvolution and quantitative analysis.

Kevin Fairfax, business director for surface analysis and microanalysis at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said: "Pathfinder software is designed to deliver actionable results … [and] represents an industry shift toward push-button operation that eliminates the need for subjective user interpretation."

The company is showcasing the software for the first time at the Microscopy and Microanalysis conference in Ohio this week.