Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, United States.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, United States; Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, United States.
Forensic Sci Int. 2019 Nov;304:109961. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2019.109961. Epub 2019 Sep 16.
USB microscopy, a relatively new and developing technology, offers a highly portable and relatively inexpensive means for performing microscopy. However, it has not been established that USB microscopes are capable of imaging at a level deemed sufficient for forensic requirements. The purpose of this study was to determine the value, applicability, and limitations of current USB microscope technology by comparing USB microscopes with traditional microscopes by collecting images of common forensic trace materials. For our tests, we considered image clarity, resolution, magnification, field of view, working distance, ease of use, and reflected versus transmission mode imaging. The USB microscopes were highly portable, easy to work with, and able to take an image in any orientation. They also demonstrated a strong sensitivity to different hues of color and were easily tailored to different forms of microscopy by utilizing additional optical components. USB microscopes do not share the same level of resolution, image quality, or image contrast as the most sophisticated microscopes. However, USB microscopes could add value to forensic investigations when used for preliminary exams, low magnification imaging of samples, and imaging scenarios that require magnification but don't conform to traditional microscopy.
USB 显微镜是一种相对较新和发展中的技术，提供了一种高度便携且相对廉价的显微镜操作方式。然而，目前还没有确定 USB 显微镜是否能够达到满足法医要求的成像水平。本研究的目的是通过收集常见法医痕迹材料的图像，来确定当前 USB 显微镜技术的价值、适用性和局限性，并将 USB 显微镜与传统显微镜进行比较。在我们的测试中，我们考虑了图像清晰度、分辨率、放大倍数、视野、工作距离、易用性以及反射和透射模式成像。USB 显微镜具有高度便携性、易于操作的特点，并且能够以任何方向拍摄图像。它们还表现出对不同色调的强烈敏感性，并且可以通过利用额外的光学元件轻松地适应不同形式的显微镜。USB 显微镜在分辨率、图像质量或图像对比度方面并不像最复杂的显微镜那样具有相同的水平。然而，当用于初步检查、低倍率成像样本以及需要放大但不符合传统显微镜要求的成像场景时，USB 显微镜可以为法医调查增加价值。
