Hi guys
I used to be quite an active amateur astronomer some time back and have an Atik 314l mono ccd capable of cooling down to -20 degs and I wondered if there is anything to be gained by using it for microscopy?. I did think of trying to devise some device to go on top of my trinocular head to use as a sort of fluorescent imaging setup using the ccd with a dichroic mirror ( if it would even work in that configuration?)
Steve
Cooled ccd for microscopy?
Re: Cooled ccd for microscopy?
Certainly a cooled sensor provides better dynamic range and sensitivity to low light, so should be advantageous for fluorescence (and maybe darkfield as well) microscopy.
Re: Cooled ccd for microscopy?
Hi Steve,
perhaps you could use it to get very short exposure times at the available light intensity to freeze quickly moving ciliates. In fluorescence stains often give of a good amount of light but autofluorescence, e.g. of chlorophyll is a lot weaker and difficult to pick up with usual cameras. Also does your camera do high speed video?
Bob
perhaps you could use it to get very short exposure times at the available light intensity to freeze quickly moving ciliates. In fluorescence stains often give of a good amount of light but autofluorescence, e.g. of chlorophyll is a lot weaker and difficult to pick up with usual cameras. Also does your camera do high speed video?
Bob
Re: Cooled ccd for microscopy?
No it doesn't Bob they are mainly for imaging very faint objects doing long exposures (up to an hour) the ability to cool is to make the ccd more sensitive and reduce electronic noise from the chip.I can maybe see the use with microscopy such as fluorescence and maybe darkfield, will have think some more
Steve