Fig 1.
Structure of the low-cost automated microscope.
(A) Schematic diagram showing electrical connections and optical path. (B) Photograph of the as-built system.
Fig 2.
Automated acquisition of large spinal cord section stained with silver staining.
(A) User starts at the top left corner. (B) The software first autofocuses the image, then (C) records the individual sub-images. The images with a black outline are “dummy” images automatically added to make the mosaic rectangular. (D) The final mosaicked image.
Fig 3.
Optical performance of our microscope.
(A) Slanted edge image, (B) edge spread function and derivative, (C) estimated modulation transfer function (MTF) showing approximately 1 micron resolution. (D) 600 lp/mm fluorescent Ronchi ruling with diffusive backing, dashed lines show ruling orientation, solid line location of line profile (inset) showing the line pairs are well resolved. (E) Low-cost microscope (NA 0.36) and (F) high-end microscope (NA 0.4) images of fecal smear containing Schistosoma eggs. Enlarged ROIs show similar optical qualities.
Fig 4.
Bidirectional repeatability for 80 repetitive motions between two fields of view separated by 950 μm in the X and Y direction. The cloud of datapoints in start position (A) and end position (B). (C) Histogram of errors across 10 independent trials.
Fig 5.
Images of human and animal parasites.
(A) Microfilaria malayi, Wright-Giemsa stain, (B) Schistosoma japonica eggs, (C) Taenia minima eggs, (D) Trypanosoma evansi, Wright-Giemsa stain, (E) Trichuris suis eggs, (F) Clonorchis sinensis eggs, (G) Trypanosoma evansi, Giemsa stain, (H) Eimeria oocysts, (I) Toxoplasma gondii trophozites, Giemsa stain.
Fig 6.
Mosaicked images of (A) an H&E stained mouse ovary section, and (B) a Wright-Giemsa-stained human blood smear.
Fig 7.
(A) Merged fluorescent and bright field images of fluorescent and nonfluorescent microspheres. (B) Merged fluorescence and bright field images of blood stained with acridine orange. (C) Bright field mosaic of H&E stained stratified squamous epithelium, with (D) showing an enlarged ROI. (E) A fluorescence image of the same sample as in (C) with (F) showing an enlarged ROI.