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Greetings Ricardo,
I'm not aware of test slide on the market which can be used to quantify
all common LSCM performance issues on all platforms, but there are a few
products which, when used together, can cover a wide range of
performance metrics.
I've no commercial interest in any of the products outlined below.
A laser power meter suitable for taking power measurements at the focus
of a low NA objective lens is an important accessory for standardizing
measurements.
Richardson technologies produces a series of flexible test slides which
can be used to evaluate system performance (Richardson Test Slide Gen
III; available from Electron Microscopy Sciences). Such reflective
specimens are useful for testing resolution, chromatic aberration at
different excitation wavelengths, laser stability, stability of the
specimen positioning w/ respect to x, y, and z, field illumination,
spectral resolution and registration (on spectral imaging systems),
etc... The Richardson slides aren't cheap though.
Mirrored slides are available from a number of vendors including
Spherotech and Electron Microscopy Sciences; such slides are less
expensive than the reflective test pattern slides mentioned above,
however they are not as flexible. Mirrored slides can be used
effectively to evaluate optical aberrations and stability in the axial
dimension.
Electron Microscopy Sciences sells a silicon grid test target which is
useful for checking scan-raster performance. Edmund Optics carries some
test targets which are useful for light microscopy as well.
Although I prefer to use reflective samples for many tests on laser
scanning instruments, others may prefer fluorescent standards.
Sub-resolution beads excitable at multiple wavelengths are useful for
testing chromatic registration in x,y, and z as well as recording
resolution performance. Spherotech and Molecular Probes sells
pre-mounted sub-resolution bead standards. Both companies also sell
larger bead standards (properly pre-mounted to microscope slides); these
can be useful for checking z-stepper calibration as well as measurment
calibration in x,y and z. Spherotech sells such calibration bead
standards with multiple, standardized stain intensity levels as well.
Test slides can be made in-house as well using some commonly available
materials and/or equipment. Colloidal gold, TEM grids, and a sputter
coater or vacuum evaporator can be found in most electron microscopy
facilities and can be applied to make home-made standards for use with
reflected light laser-scanning.
The upcoming 3rd Edition of the Handbook of Biological Confocal
Microscopy will have a fairly extensive section outlining useful tests
for evaluating instrument performance in the chapter on practical
confocal microscopy.
Best Regards,
Karl
--
Karl Garsha
Applications Specialist
Photometrics and Optical Insights
3440 E. Brittania Drive
Tucson, AZ 85706
Office: 520-547-2704
Mobile: 217-390-1874
www.photomet.com
www.optical-insights.com
Ricardo Figueroa wrote:
> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> Hello every one,
> I am looking for a general test slide for our confocal system. I am
> thinking of something like a TV test image for the confocal so that
> users will know when to call for service. And I am able to pressure the
> service guy if we need one. (Something we do all to often due to
> vibrations in the house from ventilation that shakes everything out of
> alignment)
> Preferably the slide would have features such as:
> - a fluorescent raster to check resolution
> - "color" fields to check the laser lines
> - a field with decreasing intensity of fluorescence along an axis
> - something similar to tetra spec beads to check the alignment of the
> different lines
> - etc.
>
> Does any one know of such a test slide?
>
> Thanks Ricardo
>
> Ricardo Figueroa Ph.D.Student
> Södertörns Högskola
> Inst. of Science
> tel: +46-8-608 47 32
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> homepage: http://celegans.sh.se/~ehaweb (under construction)
--
Karl Garsha
Applications Specialist
Photometrics and Optical Insights
3440 E. Brittania Drive
Tucson, AZ 85706
Office: 520-547-2704
Mobile: 217-390-1874
www.photomet.com
www.optical-insights.com
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