Automated Microscopy

Zeiss Axioimager.Z2m, including a PI piezo driven scanning stage for 8 microscopic glass slides, and a LED illumination system (Zeiss Colibri) for fast switching between three fluorescent channels (365 nm, 470 nm, and 590 nm). Image acquisition can be done using a Zeiss AxioCam MRm monochrome camera or a Zeiss AxioCam MRc color camera.
The system is controlled with the Zeiss AxioVision software package and software tools and methods of Zeder et al., 2006 - 2010.

Nikon ECLIPSE 90i microscope with a Märzhäuser scanning stage for up to 8 microscopic glass slides. Equipped with a Photometrics CoolSNAP HQ camera for microscopic image acquisition and a Logitech 905 C web camera for slide overview image acquisition. Illumination via a fiber coupled lamp (Nikon Intensilight), using a classical optical filter system for 5 different fluorescent channels (DAPI, Fluos, Cy3, Alexa 594, and Cy5).
The system is controlled via the MetaMorph software package (Molecular Devices).
Image analyses and cell counts can be performed via MetaMorph functions or with the tools and methods of Zeder et al., 2006 - 2010.

Zeiss Axioplan 2 microscopic stand with a Märzhäuser / Kontron scanning stage holding a maximum of 4 microscopic glass slides. A Hamamatsu ORCA camera is used for microscopic image acquisition. Illumination with classical mercury lamp (Zeiss HBO 100) and optical filter for two fluorescent channels (DAPI and Fluos).

The system can be operated in two ways:

a) Via the Zeiss KS400 software package. A detailed description can be found in the corresponding publication of Pernthaler et al., 2003.

b) With the Zeiss AxioVision software package and software tools and methods of Zeder et al., 2006 - 2010.

In-house development of a system for overview image acquisition of microscopic slides via web camera.
Supplementary material to the corresponding publication of Zeder et al., 2011.

Description and software download.

Our Axioplan 2 system consists of a Märzhäuser scanning stage operated via the Zeiss MCP4 stage controller from Kontron. Designed for the outdated Zeiss KS400 software package, it lacks support for current software, e.g., Zeiss AxioVision. The only possibility to operate the stage with AxioVison VBA was to program a device driver.
Here we provide a dll, which holds all needed functions to operate a scanning stage via the MCP 4 controller from Kontron.
After registration of the dll to the operation system and referencing it in the VBA-Module of AxioVision, the functions can be used to control the stage via an AxioVision VBA-program.