Smart Microscopy from Zeiss is a new concept for the routine digital documentation of microscopic samples. The microscopes Axiolab 5 and Axioscope 5, as well as the microscope cameras Axiocam 202 mono and Axiocam 208 colour, can be combined to form a Smart Microscopy system that takes away a large share of the workload from the users. It automatically adjusts many of the required settings, thus digital documentation of microscopic specimens becomes easier and more efficient.
It takes time to acquire detail-rich, true-color images of biomedical specimens. Users have to repeat the same steps again and again and adjust the settings of the microscope and software. The constant switch between microscope and PC is labour-intensive and time-consuming.
With PC, tablet or as a stand-alone solution, the Smart Microscopy system automatically adjusts brightness and white balance to keep digital documentation simple. Users place the sample, find their region of interest, then press the ergonomic Snap button on the stand to acquire the image. All elements are within reach and can be operated with one hand, including the stage drive, focus buttons, light intensity control, and the Snap button. Users focus on the sample through the eyepieces and don't even need to take their hands away from the microscope stand. The system documents the sample reproducibly and precisely as users see it through the eyepieces – detail-rich and in true colour. The correct scaling is always included automatically.
In addition to the documentation of stained samples in transmitted light, the system also facilitates work on specimens with multi-coloured fluorescence markers. Users combine Axioscope 5 with the high performance LED light source Colibri 3 and the sensitive, stand-alone microscope camera Axiocam 202 mono to have the ideal setup. The Smart Microscopy system then takes over and automatically adjusts the excitation intensity and exposure time, acquires the image, switches the channel and starts again. Users get their overlaid multichannel fluorescence image including scale bar.
