A Scalable and Modular Dome Illumination System for Scientific Microphotography on a Budget.

A scalable and modular LED illumination dome for microscopic scientific photography is described and illustrated, and methods for constructing such a dome are detailed. Dome illumination for insect specimens has become standard practice across the field of insect systematics, but many dome designs remain expensive and inflexible with respect to new LED technology. Further, a one-size-fits-all dome cannot accommodate the large breadth of insect size encountered in nature, forcing the photographer to adapt, in some cases, to a less than ideal dome design. The dome described here is scalable, as it is based on a isodecahedron, and the template for the dome is available as a downloaded file from the internet that can be printed on any printer, on the photographer's choice of media. As a result, a photographer can afford, using this design, to produce a series of domes of various sizes and materials, and LED ring lights of various sizes and color temperatures, depending on the need.

How to improve microscopic images obtained with consumer-type digital cameras.

AIM: Digital imaging is useful in conventional photography because it immediately provides images, and the image quality can be improved afterwards by the use of computer programs. The major disadvantages of consumer-type digital cameras mounted on microscopes are (i) unequal illumination through the image, and (ii) a coloured background. A computer program was specifically adapted and refined to improve images obtained with consumer-type digital cameras mounted on microscopes. METHODS AND RESULTS: An approach using a division operation between the specimen image and a background image leads to homogeneous illumination throughout the image, with automatically corrected brightness and white background. The correct colour spectrum is preserved by correction of the histogram. This approach was obtained from the freeware computer program 'Image Arithmetic'. In a test, three different consumer-type digital cameras (Sony, Nikon, Olympus) on different microscopes were used to obtain images of different types of histological specimens (cervical smear, bone marrow biopsy, and colonic biopsy). The computer program dramatically improved the quality of images obtained with all tested cameras. CONCLUSION: Using this approach, even low-cost digital cameras mounted on microscopes produce brilliant images with homogeneous illumination and a white background, the image quality being comparable with expensive cameras especially designed for microscopes.

[Creating low-power photomicrographs by digital scanning of histological sections]. / Realizzazione di microfotografie a basso ingrandimento mediante scansione digitale di sezioni istologiche.

The recent introduction of digital film scanners in the medical-scientific field provided everyone dealing with light-microscopy an easy method to obtain low-power photomicrographs from entire histological sections. Direct scanning of the common microscope slide allows the easy creation of high quality images. The digital images obtained may be improved or retouched using dedicated software and then printed on paper or film. The required instrumentation is relatively unexpensive and neither skilled staff nor expertise of photographic techniques is required. This reduces costs and saves time. The obtained images may be employed in histopathology, embryology, histochemistry, image analysis and telepathology, and are suitable for scientific papers, educational purposes and lecturing, as well as for daily reporting. The authors bring their personal experience in this field, making also a complete literature review on the topic.