Wincott Matthew, Jefferson Andrew, Dobbie Ian M, Booth Martin J, Davis Ilan, Parton Richard M
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK.
Micron Advanced Bio-imaging Unit, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
Wellcome Open Res. 2022 Mar 30;6:63. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16536.2. eCollection 2021.
Commercial fluorescence microscope stands and fully automated XYZt fluorescence imaging systems are generally beyond the limited budgets available for teaching and outreach. We have addressed this problem by developing "Microscopi", an accessible, affordable, DIY automated imaging system that is built from 3D printed and commodity off-the-shelf hardware, including electro-mechanical, computer and optical components. Our design features automated sample navigation and image capture with a simple web-based graphical user interface, accessible with a tablet or other mobile device. The light path can easily be switched between different imaging modalities. The open source Python-based control software allows the hardware to be driven as an integrated imaging system. Furthermore, the microscope is fully customisable, which also enhances its value as a learning tool. Here, we describe the basic design and demonstrate imaging performance for a range of easily sourced specimens.
商用荧光显微镜支架和全自动XYZt荧光成像系统通常超出了教学和科普活动有限的预算范围。我们通过开发“Microscopi”解决了这个问题，这是一种易于使用、价格实惠的DIY自动成像系统，它由3D打印的和现成的商用硬件构建而成，包括机电、计算机和光学组件。我们的设计特点是通过简单的基于网络的图形用户界面实现自动样本导航和图像捕获，可通过平板电脑或其他移动设备访问。光路可以很容易地在不同成像模式之间切换。基于开源Python的控制软件允许将硬件作为一个集成成像系统来驱动。此外，该显微镜完全可定制，这也提高了它作为学习工具的价值。在这里，我们描述了基本设计，并展示了一系列易于获取的标本的成像性能。
