Digital Stereo Microscope

A digital stereo microscope works on the same principle as the optical version. The difference lies in the processing and storage of a given image. An overview of microscopy principles will precede discrepancies and functional differences between digital and optical microscopes.

Microscopes function by gathering light passed through a sample and amplifying the image by manipulation of light rays. This manipulation is done by lenses using principles of optics and geometry. Upon proper magnification (10x to 100x), the image is typically directed to an eyepiece. From this eyepiece, one can view the image of a microscopic organism. Staining is often used to highlight certain features (such as organelles) in biological samples.

Digital microscopes have electronic and additional optical components that allow an image to be saved electronically and manipulated on a computer through use of appropriate software. For beginner’s sake, it is essentially a combination of a scanner and a microscope – the object being scanned (sample) Is typically too small to see with the naked eye. Information obtained from the image, as well as the image itself, must usually be somehow captured and saved for later reference and study. Here is where digital microscopes come in. By combining the processing and storage capacity of computers and related electronic components, features revealed by a microscope need not be confined to memory and direct observation of the lab technician or scientist.

Simple storage and retrieval is the tip of the iceberg. Digital microscopy allows manipulation and feature enhancement far beyond what is allowed within constraints of cost and time by optical microscopy. For example, cytometry – study of cell processes – is an example of how digital microscopes enhance the field and open new avenues of research as well as communicating that research into statements and images accessible to the general population. The link herein illustrates capabilities of digital microscopy: http://www.isac-net.org/content/view/83/.

In the article, 3D reconstructions and 3D dynamics are revealed through clever digital manipulation of images recorded by a digital microscope.

Digital microscopes and accessory equipment is not costly, exotic, or otherwise inaccessible to anyone with an avid interest and just a (relative) few dollars they believe is worth it. TheOriginalMicroscopeStore.com sells various digital add-ons as well as entire microscopes interfaced with digital equipment for prices ranging from about $250 to $2000 for high-end and specialty equipment. Predictably, there is a substantial price increase as resolution and digital enhancements increase. Therefore, most of the added cost of high-end thousand-dollar microscopes available here are a function of digital enhancements and software add-ons as opposed to substantial upgrades to the fundamental optics of microscopy.

Higher-end use of digital microscopy involves analysis of samples obtained from research, experimentation, surgery, and medical diagnosis. Those fields have specialized needs which are more costly to manufacture and obtain. However, the added scientific value and insight into cellular-level dynamics and processes are often worth the extra cost and effort.

Overall, enhanced viewing capabilities and manipulation (3D visualization composite from 2D optical images), image storage and digital manipulation make digital microscopy a continued and vital method of exploring microscopic realms of nature.

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