Fast, high-precision autofocus on a motorised microscope: Automating blood sample imaging on the OpenFlexure Microscope.
Authors
Publication Date
2022-01Journal Title
J Microsc
ISSN
0022-2720
Publisher
Wiley
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
AO
VoR
Metadata
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Knapper, J., Collins, J. T., Stirling, J., McDermott, S., Wadsworth, W., & Bowman, R. W. (2022). Fast, high-precision autofocus on a motorised microscope: Automating blood sample imaging on the OpenFlexure Microscope.. J Microsc https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.13064
Abstract
The OpenFlexure Microscope is a 3D-printed, low-cost microscope capable of automated image acquisition through the use of a motorised translation stage and a Raspberry Pi imaging system. This automation has applications in research and healthcare, including in supporting the diagnosis of malaria in low-resource settings. The plasmodium parasites that cause malaria require high magnification imaging, which has a shallow depth of field, necessitating the development of an accurate and precise autofocus procedure. We present methods of identifying the focal plane of the microscope, and procedures for reliably acquiring a stack of focused images on a system affected by backlash and drift. We also present and assess a method to verify the success of autofocus during the scan. The speed, reliability and precision of each method are evaluated, and the limitations discussed in terms of the end users' requirements.
Keywords
autofocus, focus, light microscopy, open hardware, open source
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R011443/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/R013969/1)
Identifiers
jmi13064
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jmi.13064
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/330810
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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