Standards and Specifications. Do they exist in Confocal Microscopy!!!

1.    If laser light comes through the objective and an image is
created, then the machine is considered functional.WOW!! As amazing,
astonishing, incredible, unbelievable and outrageous as these sounds –it
is true. There are almost no specifications in confocal microscopy.  We
are dependent on the subjective assessment of salesman/service engineers
to determine what constitutes a functional confocal machine. Ultimately
we have to trust our respective companies to insure our equipment works
properly.  Trust is very important,  but should good science be based on
just TRUST?

2.    Currently, the ability of the machine to work properly is
dependent on the service engineer’s and salesman’s understanding of what
constitutes a properly working machine. Unfortunately in my case, it
appears that their criteria consists of primarily “a pretty picture” and
they have little understanding or appreciation of the value of QA tests.
These tests demonstrate machine performance!

3.    I had a service engineer in my lab to fix what I considered was a
severe problem. The service engineer had the part to fix the problem.
Not only did he refuse to put it in the machine, but also he said he did
not think a problem existed. The American home office supported their
field engineer and said this was the type of performance data that could
be expected from their machine.  It is just amazing that the companies'
representatives in America would accept an optically misaligned system
as acceptable.  No researcher should knowingly use a misaligned optical
system for their critical research?

4.    Why are the world scientists accepting confocal microscopes
without any standards or specifications? A pretty picture is nice, but
there is more to confocal microscopy than just pretty pictures. We are
letting salesman and service engineers with limited knowledge of proper
scientific principles decide what constitutes a functional machine. This
is very wrong!!!

Please let’s discuss this issue, so this unacceptable policy regarding
"Standards and Specifications" can change.  Is anyone else concerned
about this  issue?

Bob

Robert M. Zucker, PhD
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory
Reproductive Toxicology Division, MD 72
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27711
Tel: 919-541-1585; fax 919-541-4017
e-mail: [log in to unmask]