Cellprofiler output during processing skin#
Two-photon excitation laser scanning microscopy (2PLSM) is ideal for fluorescence microscopy in scattering media, such as living skin and brain tissue. For example, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is the tool of choice for high-resolution fluorescence microscopy in cultured and fixed tissue preparations. Laser scanning microscopies (LSM) include some of the most important imaging modalities in biology. We present ScanImage, software to run a flexible laser scanning microscope that allows easy custom design. We implement our approach in an open source software package ( ScanImage) and describe its functionality. We quantitate the effectiveness of our data acquisition and signal conditioning algorithm under a variety of conditions. The entire burden of signal integration and image processing is placed on the CPU of the computer. Data acquisition and control of laser scanning are achieved through standard data acquisition boards. We describe a simple, software-based approach to operating a laser scanning microscope without the need for custom data acquisition hardware. A major impediment to custom design is the difficulty of building custom data acquisition hardware and writing the complex software required to run the laser scanning microscope. Although numerous commercial laser scanning microscopes exist, some of the more interesting and challenging applications demand custom design. Laser scanning microscopy is a powerful tool for analyzing the structure and function of biological specimens.