Digital Imaging in Optical Microscopy
Review Articles
- Digital Eclipse DXM 1200
Nikon's new high-resolution color digital camera is designed exclusively for photography through the microscope. This system provides real photo-quality digital imaging at a resolution of up to 12 million pixels with low noise, superb color rendition, and high sensitivity. In addition, live color monitoring on the supporting computer screen at a rate of 12 frames per second enables easy focusing of images. One of the most significant features of the DXM 1200 is the advanced control software (Automatic Camera Tamer or ACT-1) bundled with the camera system, which allows the microscopist a great deal of latitude in collecting, organizing, and correcting digital images.
- Digital Networking Camera Technology
Nikon's Peter Drent explains how digital imaging has given microscopists a whole new medium with which to capture, store and organize microscope images. Outstandingly flexible, digitally captured images can be saved, annotated, manipulated and used in other software packages for image analysis and presentation. Latest developments in the field of digital camera technology have taken this flexibility a large step further forward - it is now possible to share images in real-time using a digital camera over a network. Users in remote locations can simultaneously share live images, and even control the acquisition of these images as they are being captured, creating a range of new possibilities in the way that digital cameras can be used.
- Nikon DN100 Digital Network Camera
The DN100 Digital Network Camera is Nikon's new platform-independent, Internet-capable digital camera system that can be utilized to deliver live or captured images to a local computer in the laboratory or to a remote computer anywhere in the world. This unique cutting-edge digital microscope camera system combines 1.3-megapixel color resolution imaging at a rate of 15 frames per second with unique networking capabilities to enable simultaneous sharing of information over the Internet or a local area network. The DN100's ability to transfer images over a network or the Internet enables the microscopist to easily share digital images of specimens with colleagues, and the system's advanced capabilities ease the burden of preparing images for the web. The DN100's networking capabilities include HTTP and FTP communication, allowing the unit to conveniently provide images and streaming video to a remote microscopist via a web browser. The DN100 is also capable of allowing an operator to remotely control the camera system software and hardware.
- Digital Sight ACT-1 for L-1 Software
The automatic camera tamer software (referred to as the ACT-1 for L-1 Version) is an application program designed to allow operation of the Nikon Digital Sight DS-L1 camera control unit from a networked high-performance PC. Multiple Digital Sight camera systems, connected to the network, can be controlled from the PC, with the selection of the desired camera being accomplished by simple menu selection. The ACT-1 program allows basic digital imaging operations such as image capture, saving, printing, and deleting to be performed, and in addition provides access to more advanced image processing, display manipulation, and image analysis functions.
Interactive Tutorials
- Nikon Coolscope Digital Microscope
The Nikon Coolscope digital microscope is a self-contained unit (resembling a personal computer tower), which includes all of the necessary functions for observation of specimens in brightfield illumination, along with convenient digital image capture, and local or wide area network communication capabilities. The unit features a simple configuration with an intuitive graphical user interface displayed in a single window for quick and efficient operation. This interactive tutorial examines remote operational capabilities of the Coolscope using the native browser screen provided with the software package.
- Digital Sight Camera Control Unit Simulation
When the Digital Sight Camera Control Unit (CCU) is powered on, the display is activated on the internal LCD monitor. The LCD monitor window displays a digital color specimen image captured in the microscope at either 1.3- or 5-megapixel resolution, which is refreshed by the live camera system at a rate ranging from 3.75 to 15 frames per second, depending on the imaging mode in use. An array of on-screen control menus that facilitate the capture and processing of digital images is accessible from the display window. In addition, the front panel of the CCU incorporates a number of indicators and buttons that can be used to monitor and control the CCU, and to gain access to many of its image adjustment and networking capabilities.
- Digital Sight Web Browser Simulation
When the Nikon Digital Sight web browser interface initializes, two virtual rooms are available to assist the operator from the entry page. In one of these rooms, a single microscope image with a remote control panel appears in the web browser window. This interactive tutorial simulates many of the features present in the Digital Sight browser interface.
- Digital Sight Camera System Control Unit Simulation
The tutorial closely simulates most of the operational functions of the native Digital Sight camera control unit (CCU). Upon initialization of the tutorial, a randomly selected specimen image appears in the image display area of the tutorial window.
- Digital Sight Software Main Window
Upon initialization, the ACT-1 software main window appears on the computer monitor. This window presents a variety of on-screen elements including menu bars and Windows-style tool bars that facilitate capture, annotation, analysis, and correction of digital images. There are two image display areas, a larger window occupying the upper left portion and a smaller window positioned on the right. The tutorial operates in a manner that is similar to the native Nikon software. A pop-up window will alert the user when a feature of the ACT-1 software is not implemented in the tutorial.
- ACT-1 Main Window
Upon initialization, the ACT-1 software main window appears on the computer monitor. This window presents a variety of on-screen elements including menu bars and a Windows-style tool bar that facilitates capture and correction of digital images. There are two image display areas, a larger window appearing on the left portion and a smaller window positioned on the right. The tutorial operates in a manner that is similar to the native Nikon software. Currently, working modules include the thumbnail area, and all portions of the Live window.
- Live Settings Panel Operation
Utilize this interactive Java tutorial to explore the various features available in the Nikon DXM 1200 ACT-1 software Live settings panel. Among the options included in the tutorial are exposure time, focus, the focus mark, sensitivity, and the color levels function. Tutorial controls are identical to those found in the native software.
- White Balance Calibration
Explore calibration of the DXM 1200 imaging control software for white balance to alleviate color shifts and unwanted hues in digital photomicrography with this interactive tutorial. Either a single point or a rectangular marquee-selected area on the image can be specified for measuring the white balance.
- Image Rotation
Live and captured images displayed in the Nikon DXM 1200 ACT-1 control software image windows can be rotated and flipped by a menu found in the Live settings panel. This interactive tutorial explores the appearance and orientation of flipped images. Control of the applet features is identical to that found in the native Nikon software.
- Retouching Digital Images
Images captured by the Nikon DXM 1200 digital camera system can be conveniently processed by a retouching menu available with the ACT-1 control software. Correction factors include image brightness, contrast, gamma, sharpness, hue, saturation, intensity, rotation, color balance, white/black balance, and cropping. This interactive tutorial explores how images can be corrected using the ACT-1 Retouch Image window.
- Option Settings Panel
The Option settings panel in the DXM 1200 ACT-1 control software can be utilized to configure various functions related to image capture. Among the variables controlled by this panel are image resolution, auto printing, automatic image enhancement, noise reduction, and color mode.
- Nikon DN100 Digital Net Camera
When the DN100 Camera Control Unit (CCU) is powered on, the display window appears on the accompanying computer monitor (although no CPU is required). This interactive tutorial explores the features available through the monitor and simulates a majority of the software functions.
- DN100 Camera Control Unit Simulation
When the DN100 Camera Control Unit (CCU) is powered on, the display window appears on the computer monitor. The display window presents a color image captured at 1.3 megapixel resolution that is refreshed at a rate of 15 frames per second. An array of on-screen control windows that facilitate the capture and correction of digital images is accessible from the main display window. In addition, the front panel of the CCU contains a number of indicators and buttons that can be used to monitor the CCU and gain access to its image processing and networking capabilities.
- DN100 Web Browser Simulation
When the Nikon DN100 web browser interface initializes, three virtual rooms are available to the operator from the entry page. In one of these rooms, a single microscope image with a remote control panel appears in the web browser window. The remote controls provided by the instrument allow a remote microscopist to access many of the features of the camera control unit, including exposure settings, image processing functions, and the ability to capture and download live images in Bitmap or JPEG format. Other noteworthy features include an electronic zoom and pan capability, as well as an annotation function that allows the operator to superimpose a hand-drawn diagram on the image window.
Contributing Authors
Kenneth R. Spring - Scientific Consultant, Lusby, Maryland, 20657.
Peter Drent - Production Manager, Microscopy Division, Nikon Europe, Schipholweg 321, 1171PL Badhoevedorp, The Netherlands.
Matthew Parry-Hill, Thomas J. Fellers, and Michael W. Davidson - National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, 1800 East Paul Dirac Dr., The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32310.
