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Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2021Lightfield microscopy has raised growing interest in the last few years. Its ability to get three-dimensional information about the sample in a single shot makes it...
Lightfield microscopy has raised growing interest in the last few years. Its ability to get three-dimensional information about the sample in a single shot makes it suitable for many applications in which time resolution is fundamental. In this paper we present a novel device, which is capable of converting any conventional microscope into a lightfield microscope. Based on the Fourier integral microscope concept, we designed the lightfield microscope eyepiece. This is coupled to the eyepiece port, to let the user exploit all the host microscope's components (objective turret, illumination systems, translation stage, etc.) and get a 3D reconstruction of the sample. After the optical design, a proof-of-concept device was built with off-the-shelf optomechanical components. Here, its optical performances are demonstrated, which show good matching with the theoretical ones. Then, the pictures of different samples taken with the lightfield eyepiece are shown, along with the corresponding reconstructions. We demonstrated the functioning of the lightfield eyepiece and lay the foundation for the development of a commercial device that works with any microscope.
Topics: Lighting; Microscopy
PubMed: 34640939
DOI: 10.3390/s21196619 -
Nanoscale Advances Feb 2021Direct visualization and imaging of nanomaterials under ambient conditions is of great significance for their characterization and application. In most cases, the... (Review)
Review
Direct visualization and imaging of nanomaterials under ambient conditions is of great significance for their characterization and application. In most cases, the observation of individual nanomaterials usually requires high-resolution electron microscopes under high vacuum. In comparison, an optical microscope is much more convenient due to its facile operation and open space. However, the resolution of optical microscopes is much lower than that of electron microscope-based tools. Therefore, effective visualization and imaging strategies for nanomaterials are required to realize their direct observation, accurate location and controllable manipulation. In this review, we summarized the progress of optical visualization and imaging strategies for nanomaterials in recent years, including vapor-condensation-assisted optical visualization, nanoparticle-assisted optical visualization, substrate-assisted optical visualization and fluorescence visualization, and the applications of these techniques were also introduced. We believe that this review will inspire further improvement in optical visualization of nanomaterials and drive the application of nanomaterials in a broader domain.
PubMed: 36133288
DOI: 10.1039/d0na00945h -
Medicine and Pharmacy Reports Jan 2021Magnification devices improve direct and indirect vision and precision being significantly higher in microscope use compared to the loupes. Dental loupes are the most... (Review)
Review
Magnification devices improve direct and indirect vision and precision being significantly higher in microscope use compared to the loupes. Dental loupes are the most commonly used devices for magnification, due to the more affordable prices and the ease of use without major changes in the working protocol and ergonomics. Loupes primary benefits reported refers to ergonomics and posture, restoration evaluation/detection and overall treatment quality. There are some disadvantages that limit the use of loupes among dentists: lack of fixed position (fine movements of the dentist's head disturb the image of the magnified operating field); the need to change the loupes to achieve different magnification. On the contrary, the use of a dental microscope require minimum adjustment and effort so as to reduce postural deviation while working. It has been more than 30 years since dental practitioners raised the issue of using dental operating microscopes (DOM) in restorative dentistry, identifying the benefits of magnification in diagnosis and treatment steps. The growth is evident in recent years, maybe because of the familiarity of dentists with dental microscopes which have already become implicit endowment for endodontic specialists. Fiber optic lighting is the key factor that complements the magnification offered by the microscope so that treatments can now be performed under increased safety conditions and in conditions of significantly higher quality than in the past. Since the beginning of the 2000s the principles of minimally invasive dentistry have been widely promoted in dentistry. These principles are major impetus for the use of microscope by dentists. Working with magnification leads dentists to be more conservative with dental tissues.
PubMed: 33629044
DOI: 10.15386/mpr-1662 -
Journal of Microbiology & Biology... Apr 2022The rapid switch to remote teaching with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to become resourceful and creative to meet course learning objectives. This...
The rapid switch to remote teaching with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators to become resourceful and creative to meet course learning objectives. This was especially challenging for undergraduate microbiology laboratory exercises. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Recommended Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Microbiology Education includes providing students with a microscopy experience. To meet these learning objectives in an at-home setting, we utilized two methods which we present as options for remote teaching of microscopy. One method involves students taking home microscopes equipped with oil immersion objective lenses. The other employs the remote operation of a confocal and/or scanning electron microscope through participation in the University of Toledo's SCOPE (Scientists Changing Our Pre-College Education) program. These techniques allowed students to develop competency and confidence in the operation of a microscope. The SCOPE program provided experience with types of microscopes not commonly available to undergraduate students even when in person. In addition to these unique experiences, students can gain microscopy expertise utilizing various virtual microscopy simulations. Together these techniques provide an exciting and robust online microscopy experience for undergraduate microbiology students that can be employed for use in regularly taught online microbiology courses.
PubMed: 35496698
DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00332-21 -
Journal of Cell Science Oct 2021Custom-built microscopes often require control of multiple hardware devices and precise hardware coordination. It is also desirable to have a solution that is scalable...
Custom-built microscopes often require control of multiple hardware devices and precise hardware coordination. It is also desirable to have a solution that is scalable to complex systems and that is translatable between components from different manufacturers. Here we report Python-Microscope, a free and open-source Python library for high-performance control of arbitrarily complex and scalable custom microscope systems. Python-Microscope offers simple to use Python-based tools, abstracting differences between physical devices by providing a defined interface for different device types. Concrete implementations are provided for a range of specific hardware, and a framework exists for further expansion. Python-Microscope supports the distribution of devices over multiple computers while maintaining synchronisation via highly precise hardware triggers. We discuss the architectural features of Python-Microscope that overcome the performance problems often raised against Python and demonstrate the different use cases that drove its design: integration with user-facing projects, namely the Microscope-Cockpit project; control of complex microscopes at high speed while using the Python programming language; and use as a microscope simulation tool for software development.
Topics: Computer Simulation; Gene Library; Software
PubMed: 34448002
DOI: 10.1242/jcs.258955 -
BMJ Open Ophthalmology Jun 2023To compare subjective levels of comfort and visual experiences related to microscope light in patients undergoing their first cataract surgery with topical anaesthesia... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparing microscope light-associated glare and comfort between heads-up 3D digital and conventional microscopes in cataract surgery: a randomised, multicentre, single-blind, controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
To compare subjective levels of comfort and visual experiences related to microscope light in patients undergoing their first cataract surgery with topical anaesthesia using a digital microscope (the NGENUITY three-dimensional (3D) visualisation system) or a conventional microscope.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
A prospective, randomised, single-blinded, parallel-group, multicentre, interventional study. Patients (n=128) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: the experimental group (n=63) had surgery using the digital microscope and the control group (n=65) had surgery with a conventional microscope. The primary outcome was patients' subjective experience of glare from the microscope light during surgery on a numerical scale from 0 to 10. Key secondary outcomes were patients' subjective levels of comfort and visual experiences related to the microscope light.
RESULTS
The experimental group reported significantly lower levels of glare; median levels were 1.0 (0.0-4.0) for the experimental group vs 3.0 (0.0-6.0) for the control group (p=0.027). They also reported higher levels of comfort; median ratings were 8.0 (6.5-10.0) in the experimental group and 7.0 (5.0-9.0) in controls (p=0.026). There were no group differences in ratings of subjective pain or visual disturbances. Median microscope light intensity was lower in the experimental group than controls; 3425.0 (2296.0-4300.0) Lux vs 24 279.0 (16 000.0-26 500.0) Lux (p<0.0001), respectively.
CONCLUSION
Compared with conventional microscopes, the NGENUITY 3D visualisation system allows surgeons to operate with lower levels of light exposure, resulting in significantly less glare and improved comfort in patients undergoing cataract surgery.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
NCT05085314.
Topics: Humans; Prospective Studies; Glare; Single-Blind Method; Cataract Extraction; Cataract
PubMed: 37493673
DOI: 10.1136/bmjophth-2023-001272 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology Oct 2020Microscopes play an important role in the diagnosis of microorganisms and pathological lesions in ophthalmology guiding us to the appropriate management. The current...
Microscopes play an important role in the diagnosis of microorganisms and pathological lesions in ophthalmology guiding us to the appropriate management. The current trend of collecting samples and examination is mostly laboratory-based which consume time, labor, and are costly. Smartphones are being used in different fields of ophthalmology with great ubiquity. The good quality photographs obtained by smartphones along with the ease of mobility has made it possible to warrant its use in the microscopic world. This article describes a simple novel technique of preparing an intraocular lens system which can be used in conjunction with a smartphone to detect microorganisms and pathological lesions.
Topics: Eye, Artificial; Humans; Lenses, Intraocular; Microscopy; Photography; Smartphone
PubMed: 32971646
DOI: 10.4103/ijo.IJO_2032_19 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2019An optical microscope enables image-based findings and diagnosis on microscopic targets, which is indispensable in many scientific, industrial and medical settings. A...
An optical microscope enables image-based findings and diagnosis on microscopic targets, which is indispensable in many scientific, industrial and medical settings. A standard benchtop microscope platform, equipped with e.g., bright-field and phase-contrast modes, is of importance and convenience for various users because the wide-field and label-free properties allow for morphological imaging without the need for specific sample preparation. However, these microscopes never have capability of acquiring molecular contrast in a label-free manner. Here, we develop a simple add-on optical unit, comprising of an amplitude-modulated mid-infrared semiconductor laser, that is attached to a standard microscope platform to deliver the additional molecular contrast of the specimen on top of its conventional microscopic image, based on the principle of photothermal effect. We attach this unit, termed molecular-contrast unit, to a standard phase-contrast microscope, and demonstrate high-speed label-free molecular-contrast phase-contrast imaging of silica-polystyrene microbeads mixture and molecular-vibrational spectroscopic imaging of HeLa cells. Our simple molecular-contrast unit can empower existing standard microscopes and deliver a convenient accessibility to the molecular world.
Topics: HeLa Cells; Humans; Lasers, Semiconductor; Light; Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; Microspheres; Molecular Imaging; Polystyrenes; Silicon Dioxide; Spectrophotometry, Infrared
PubMed: 31316091
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46383-6 -
IScience Jun 2020Optical microscope is one of the most widely used imaging tools for its great flexibility, reliable design, and low cost. Optical microsphere nanoscope (OMN) is invented... (Review)
Review
Optical microscope is one of the most widely used imaging tools for its great flexibility, reliable design, and low cost. Optical microsphere nanoscope (OMN) is invented as a method that can greatly enhance the observation power of conventional optical microscopes. In this perspective, the promising outlook for this approach is briefly discussed. There exists a great freedom to apply this method in various applications. OMN has been successfully commercialized. Our past experience and strategies are summarized in this perspective, which serves as a good reference for the future technology entrepreneurs. Based on our story and model, the factors for success are listed. It can be used to evaluate other commercialization projects and find out the directions that require further improvement.
PubMed: 32534443
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101211