Current Open instrumentation

The technology developed in this project will contribute to the openScopes initiative, that aims to provide the know-how and open source software tools to implement a suite of open source instrumentation for light microscopy and related modalities that are intended to enable researchers to implement, maintain and upgrade advanced optical imaging capabilities at relatively low cost, including in less affluent research communities where technical support may not be available. These capabilities include FLIM, optical projection tomography, high content analysis and super-resolved microscopy. In general they can be implemented as upgrades to existing commercial microscope frames or they can be constructed around the new, cost-effective, modular openFrame platform, for which CAD files may be downloaded for laboratories to fabricate their own components or they can be purchased commercially.

openFLIM hardware: For a list of components to assemble a wide-field time-gated FLIM microscope system or an optical sectioning wide-field FLIM microscope utilising a Nipkow spinning disc confocal scanner, please download the openFLIM hardware list.

dOPM hardware: Parts lists, CAD files, alignment manuals can be found here.

Under development

Optical autofocus module: We are developing an optical autofocus module that can be fitted to existing epifluorescence microscopes or to openFrame-based systems.

Quantitative phase contrast module: We are developing a pDPC kit that can be fitted to existing microscopes or to openFrame-based systems, which comprises a quadrant polarisation mask in 3D-printed holder that should be mounted in the transmitted light illuminator in the back focal plane of the condenser lens. This should be complemented by a polarisation-resolving camera and the open source software outlined above to provide single-shot semi-quantitative phase imaging that can be used for cell segmentation and morphometric analysis.

openFrame M3M: We are developing an openFrame-based HCA platform to provide automated multibeam multiphoton multiwell plate microscopy, including FLIM implemented with time-correlated single photon counting. This flexible instrument will also be configurable for other imaging modalities including spectral ratiometric FRET, quantitative phase imaging and polarisation-resolved imaging.