Traditional laser scanning microscopes require complex control systems to synchronize and control image acquisition. The control system is especially cumbersome in the multimodal laser scanning microscope. We have developed a novel multimodal laser scanning microscope control system based on a National Instruments multifunction data acquisition device (DAQ), which serves as both a data acquisition device and a programmable signal generator. The novel control system is low-cost and easy-to-build, with all components off-the-shelf. We have applied the control system in a multimodal laser scanning microscope. The control system has not only significantly decreased the complexity of the microscope, but also increased the system flexibility. We have demonstrated that the system can be easily customized for various applications.

Date Published: 9 March 2015
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 9330, Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXII, 93300D (9 March 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2076846

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9330:
Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXII
Thomas G. Brown; Carol J. Cogswell; Tony Wilson, Editor(s)