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Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure 2020Modern light microscopes are available with built-in illuminator and facility of photomicrography. This enables the microscopy to be ready for telemedicine. However,...
INTRODUCTION
Modern light microscopes are available with built-in illuminator and facility of photomicrography. This enables the microscopy to be ready for telemedicine. However, resource-limited settings still find difficulty in procuring those microscopes.
AIM
The aim of this study was to upgrade a light microscope to a smartphone-connected digital microscope with minimal cost to make it ready for telemedicine.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A commercially available (price: ₹389) Universal Serial Bus (USB) web camera was set on the eyepiece and fixed with the help of an aluminum sheet. Light emitting diodes (LEDs), covered with an optical diffuser, were set below the condenser. The camera was connected to an Android smartphone with an application for capturing image and video. Sixteen faculty members provided their opinion about the new device.
RESULTS
The smartphone-connected microscope was successfully used to focus and capture image and video of various slides. The images and videos were stored in the smartphone and shared via E-mail and other channels (e.g., WhatsApp and Telegram). This camera was also successfully connected to a laptop for projecting the real-time microscopic field on a screen. According to faculty members, focusing an object and capturing the image are the best features of the device; however, development of the device received lowest score.
CONCLUSION
A light microscope was upgraded to telemedicine ready microscope with nominal cost and moderate effort. It can also be used in medical teachings as it can project real-time images of a slide under the microscope. As it is equipped with LEDs, powered by the same smartphone, it can be operated without daylight or during a power outage.
PubMed: 32766118
DOI: 10.4103/JMAU.JMAU_35_19 -
Nature Reviews. Materials 2020Advanced research microscopes in universities can be used to enhance the education of STEM students, as demonstrated by initiatives at Johns Hopkins University that give...
Advanced research microscopes in universities can be used to enhance the education of STEM students, as demonstrated by initiatives at Johns Hopkins University that give students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with sophisticated microscopes.
PubMed: 32995045
DOI: 10.1038/s41578-020-00246-z -
Journal of Otology Dec 2020Endoscopes are increasingly being used in cholesteatoma surgeries either as an adjunct to microscopes or sometimes exclusively. Their role at present is more as adjunct... (Review)
Review
Endoscopes are increasingly being used in cholesteatoma surgeries either as an adjunct to microscopes or sometimes exclusively. Their role at present is more as adjunct to microscope which still remains the work-horse for mastoidectomy. However, as endoscopy and endoscopic instruments are increasingly getting refined, role of endoscopy in management of cholesteatoma is continuously being appraised with progressively newer studies. This review aims to assess outcomes of several studies in which endoscopic techniques were used in cholesteatoma surgery and recognize common trends. An extensive review of literature on this theme was performed. Sixteen studies comprising of 1685 patients treated endoscopically either exclusively or in combination with microscope were included. Intra-operatively, in 267 (15.82%) cases, residual cholesteatoma was identified by endoscope in hidden areas after completion of surgery with microscope. On follow-up, recidivism was identified in 108 cases (6.4%) in second look procedures. Common sites of recurrence were hidden areas like sinus tympani. This review while acknowledging the value of microscope, highlights the merit of endoscope usage in cholesteatoma surgery and its role in reducing recurrence.
PubMed: 33293919
DOI: 10.1016/j.joto.2020.06.004 -
Journal of Synchrotron Radiation Mar 2023MAXPEEM, a dedicated photoemission electron microscopy beamline at MAX IV Laboratory, houses a state-of-the-art aberration-corrected spectroscopic photoemission and...
MAXPEEM, a dedicated photoemission electron microscopy beamline at MAX IV Laboratory, houses a state-of-the-art aberration-corrected spectroscopic photoemission and low-energy electron microscope (AC-SPELEEM). This powerful instrument offers a wide range of complementary techniques providing structural, chemical and magnetic sensitivities with a single-digit nanometre spatial resolution. The beamline can deliver a high photon flux of ≥10 photons s (0.1% bandwidth) in the range 30-1200 eV with full control of the polarization from an elliptically polarized undulator. The microscope has several features which make it unique from similar instruments. The X-rays from the synchrotron pass through the first beam separator and impinge the surface at normal incidence. The microscope is equipped with an energy analyzer and an aberration corrector which improves both the resolution and the transmission compared with standard microscopes. A new fiber-coupled CMOS camera features an improved modulation transfer function, dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio compared with the traditional MCP-CCD detection system.
PubMed: 36891861
DOI: 10.1107/S160057752300019X -
Journal of Conservative Dentistry : JCD 2023The development of early carious lesions can be prevented with the use of sealants. This study aimed to evaluate the retention and sealant quality of conventional and...
BACKGROUND
The development of early carious lesions can be prevented with the use of sealants. This study aimed to evaluate the retention and sealant quality of conventional and bioactive self-etching sealants by direct (clinical) and indirect (microscopical) assessment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty newly erupted mandibular second molars (International Caries Detection and Assessment System ≤2) from adolescents were selected for the split-mouth trial study. The tooth was randomized and treated with conventional Fluoroshield (FS) and BeautiSealant (BS) bioactive self-etching sealants. Molds were taken and cast with epoxy resin after treatment. Indirect and direct assessments of retention degree and sealant remnant quality were performed after baseline, 1 month, and 1 year. The Chi-square test, ordinal regression, reasons of chance, and Fleiss' kappa statistical test were employed.
RESULTS
After 1 month, greater total retention was observed for FS, but 1-year follow-up demonstrated no retention difference for FS and BS. The odds ratios showed an 86% greater chance of FS showing better marginal adaptation, after 1 month. At 1 year, the clinical assessment showed better anatomical shape and marginal adaptation scores for FS, but no microscopical difference was observed. A pour agreement between clinical and microscopical data was observed.
CONCLUSIONS
The 1-year follow-up showed no significant difference in the degree of retention, and in the microscopic evaluation of the conventional sealant (FS) and the bioactive self-etching sealant (BS), but in the clinical evaluation, better marginal and anatomical adaptation scores for FS were observed.
PubMed: 37205883
DOI: 10.4103/jcd.jcd_582_22 -
Journal of Biomedical Optics Feb 2023Although several miniature microscope systems have been developed to allow researchers to image brain neuron activities of free moving rodents, they generally require a...
SIGNIFICANCE
Although several miniature microscope systems have been developed to allow researchers to image brain neuron activities of free moving rodents, they generally require a long cable connecting to the miniature microscope. It not only limits the behavior of the animal, but also makes it challenging to study multiple animals simultaneously.
AIM
The aim of this work is to develop a fully wireless miniature microscope that would break constraints from the connecting cables so that the animals could move completely freely, allowing neuroscience researchers to study more of animals' behaviors simultaneously, such as social behavior.
APPROACH
We present a wireless mini-microscope (wScope) that enables simultaneously real-time brain imaging preview from multiple free-moving animals. The wScope has a mass of 2.7 g and a maximum frame rate of 25 Hz at field of view with resolution.
RESULTS
The performance of the wScope is validated via real-time imaging of the cerebral blood flow and the activity of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) of different mice.
CONCLUSIONS
The wScope provides a powerful tool for brain imaging of multiple free moving animals in their much larger spaces and more naturalistic environments.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Microscopy; Brain; Head; Behavior, Animal; Neuroimaging; Wireless Technology
PubMed: 36777333
DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.28.2.026503 -
Cancers Jun 2023Multispectral, multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) microscopy has been used to great effect in research to identify cellular co-expression profiles and spatial...
Multispectral, multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) microscopy has been used to great effect in research to identify cellular co-expression profiles and spatial relationships within tissue, providing a myriad of diagnostic advantages. As these technologies mature, it is essential that image data from mIF microscopes is reproducible and standardizable across devices. We sought to characterize and correct differences in illumination intensity and spectral sensitivity between three multispectral microscopes. We scanned eight melanoma tissue samples twice on each microscope and calculated their average tissue region flux intensities. We found a baseline average standard deviation of 29.9% across all microscopes, scans, and samples, which was reduced to 13.9% after applying sample-specific corrections accounting for differences in the tissue shown on each slide. We used a basic calibration model to correct sample- and microscope-specific effects on overall brightness and relative brightness as a function of the image layer. We tested the generalizability of the calibration procedure and found that applying corrections to independent validation subsets of the samples reduced the variation to 2.9 ± 0.03%. Variations in the unmixed marker expressions were reduced from 15.8% to 4.4% by correcting the raw images to a single reference microscope. Our findings show that mIF microscopes can be standardized for use in clinical pathology laboratories using a relatively simple correction model.
PubMed: 37370719
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123109 -
Journal of Neurochemistry Feb 2023Over the past decade, novel optical imaging tools have been developed for imaging neuronal activities along with the evolution of fluorescence indicators with brighter... (Review)
Review
Over the past decade, novel optical imaging tools have been developed for imaging neuronal activities along with the evolution of fluorescence indicators with brighter expression and higher sensitivity. Miniature microscopes, as revolutionary approaches, enable the imaging of large populations of neuron ensembles in freely behaving rodents and mammals, which allows exploring the neural basis of behaviors. Recent progress in two-photon miniature microscopes and mesoscale single-photon miniature microscopes further expand those affordable methods to navigate neural activities during naturalistic behaviors. In this review article, two-photon miniature microscopy techniques are summarized historically from the first documented attempt to the latest ones, and comparisons are made. The driving force behind and their potential for neuroscientific inquiries are also discussed. Current progress in terms of the mesoscale, i.e., the large field-of-view miniature microscopy technique, is addressed as well. Then, pipelines for registering single cells from the data of two-photon and large field-of-view miniature microscopes are discussed. Finally, we present the potential evolution of the techniques.
Topics: Animals; Microscopy; Optical Imaging; Mammals; Neurons; Behavior, Animal
PubMed: 36281555
DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15711 -
Optics Express Aug 2022Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) is a key technology for high resolution and super-resolution imaging of biological cells and molecules. The spread of portable...
Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) is a key technology for high resolution and super-resolution imaging of biological cells and molecules. The spread of portable and easy-to-align SIM systems requires the development of novel methods to generate a light pattern and to shift it across the field of view of the microscope. Here we show a miniaturized chip that incorporates optical waveguides, splitters, and phase shifters, to generate a 2D structured illumination pattern suitable for SIM microscopy. The chip creates three point-sources, coherent and controlled in phase, without the need for further alignment. Placed in the pupil of a microscope's objective, the three sources generate a hexagonal illumination pattern on the sample, which is spatially translated thanks to thermal phase shifters. We validate and use the chip, upgrading a commercial inverted fluorescence microscope to a SIM setup and we image biological sample slides, extending the resolution of the microscope.
Topics: Lighting; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Optical Devices
PubMed: 36242132
DOI: 10.1364/OE.466225 -
Arquivos de Neuro-psiquiatria Apr 2021The longstanding study of gross anatomy experienced a considerable improvement with the advent of the microscope in the early 17th century. The representative...
The longstanding study of gross anatomy experienced a considerable improvement with the advent of the microscope in the early 17th century. The representative personality of this new era certainly was Marcello Malpighi, seen as "founder of microscopic anatomy". He studied, with a rudimentary compound microscope, numerous tissues and organs of several classes of animals, as well as plants. He described, for the first time, the microscopic structure of the nervous system, identifying in the gray matter of its various levels minute elements he took as "glands". It should be reminded that the concept of "cell" (and "nerve cell") was unknown at his time. Many researchers followed, performing microscopic studies, but without better results, and Malpighi's view was maintained until the beginning of the 19th century, when new histological processing and staining techniques appeared, as well as improved microscopes.
Topics: Animals; Cerebral Cortex; Gray Matter; History, 17th Century; Italy; Nervous System; Neurons; Staining and Labeling
PubMed: 34133516
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X-ANP-2020-0309