APP_Incubator_Microscope

In-Incubator Microscope

This is the repository for the in-incubator microscope. It is capable to acquire Time-Lapse videos from living cells inside an incubator.

The current version of the Z-stage is inspired by the flexure-bearing Z-stage from Richard Bowman's openflexure microscope design. Their open-source project can be found here.

Each functional block has an Arduino acting as a BUS-communicator. Therefore it's possible to control (i.e. switch on/off) devices from the MASTER-device (i.e. Raspberry pi). We aim to build a low-cost solution for high throughput acquisitions, acting as a new tools for (not only) biologists.

It is a very early developer version. Please feel free to contribute to the documentation and device development.

Note: The pictures on this site do not show the latest version of the Z-stage. Follow the respective assembly guidelines.

Devices features:

• X/Y/Z/t Acquisitions possible
• Fluorescent imaging
• Quantitative Phase Imaging
• Modularized design
• Low-cost acquisition
• Based on off-the-shelf components
• Open-Source

3D printing

Modules for this setup

Name	Properties	Price	Link	#
4×2 Baseplate	-	5€	Base-plate	1
Module: Z-Stage	Optionally with Fluomodule	?? €	Z-Stage	1
Module: Mirror 45°	-	5€	Mirror 45	1
Module: Raspberry Camera	-	??€	RaspiCam	1
Module: LED array	Optionally LED Ring	??€	LED array	1

Parts to print

• 1× Base-Plate 4×2
• 2× 1×1 Cube
• 3× 1×1 Cube Lid
• 1× 2×1 Cube
• 1× 2×1 Cube Lid
• 1× Z-Stage
• 1× Z-Stage Objective Mount
• 1× Coupling Screw M3
• 1× Z-Stage Fluomodule
• 1× Z-Stage Adapterplate
• 1× Z-Stage Microscope Slide Clamp
• 1× Cube LED Matrix Holder
• 1× Cube Raspicam Insert
• 1× Thorlabs Mirror Insert or 30×30 Mirror Insert

Additional components

• Check out the RESOURCES for more information!
• 1× LED-Array, Neopixel, 8x8 🢂
• 32× 5mm Ball magnets 🢂
• 20× - 40× Screws DIN912 ISO 4762 M3×12 mm 🢂
• 1× M3×30 mm and M3 nut - non-magnetic
• 2× M2×12 mm and 2× M2 nut - non-magnetic
• 1× Raspberry Pi Camera 🢂
• 1× Objective Lens (e.g. 10×, NA 0.3) 🢂
• 1× Mirrors (e.g. 30×30 mm² Toymirrors) 🢂
• 2× ESP32 🢂
• 1× Stepper Motor and 1× Driver Board 🢂
• 9× Female-Female Jumper Wire, 0.14 mm² 🢂
• 2× Power cables for ESP32 - USB-microUSB 🢂
• Optional (for Fluomodule): 2× Star-LEDs blue (high power 1-3 Watt) 🢂
• Optional (for Fluomodule): 1x MOS-FET/Power PNP Transistor 🢂
• Optional (for Fluomodule): 4× Screws DIN912 ISO 4762 M3×18 mm 🢂

Assembly and alignment

• Baseplate
• Z-stage
• Mirror Cube
• Raspberry Camera Cube
• LED array

A simplified scheme can be found here.

Electronics

🢂 Find more in the Electronics section

Software

🢂 Find the software for this setup in our dedicated UC2-Software-GIT

Results

This is a 30-minutes timelapse of some dog-cells made in a Workshop in UiO prepared by Xian H. and Kay S.

Participate!

Do you want to show your own results? Do you have ideas for improvements? Let us know!