Low-cost programable stroboscopic illumination with sub-microsecond pulses for high-throughput microfluidic applications. (October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tuljak, Marko; Lajevec, David; Štanc, Rok; Zemljič Jokhadar, Špela; Derganc, Jure
• Is Part Of: HardwareX. Volume 12(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-10
• Subjects: Deformability cytometry -- Velocity measurement -- Microfluidics -- Stroboscope -- Teensy -- Arduino; Scientific apparatus and instruments -- Periodicals; Laboratories -- Equipment and supplies -- Periodicals; Laboratories -- Equipment and supplies; Scientific apparatus and instruments; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2022.e00367
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-0672

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: To visualize fast-moving objects in microfluidic applications, the image acquisition time must be on the order of a microsecond or less. Commercial imaging systems capable of such short exposure times may be too expensive for many research laboratories. We have therefore developed a low-cost stroboscopic illumination for transmitted-light microscopy based on a high-power LED that can be coupled to a standard industrial camera and provides exposure times on the order of 500 ns. The system is designed to be easily mounted on a standard condenser of an inverted microscope. The illumination is controlled by a fast Arduino-compatible Teensy® 4.0 development board, and the illumination parameters can be set from a PC via a graphical user interface written in Python. The system has been successfully used for high-throughput cell phenotyping using deformability cytometry on a Nikon TE2000 microscope, as well as for droplet microfluidic on an old Olympus inverted microscope.