PROMOTED: Adaptive Autofocus Empowers Time-Lapse Microscopy

Autofocusing in an essential part of automated microscopy. Capturing focus accurately, without manual intervention from the user, is what makes applications such as long-term time-lapse experiments and slide scanning possible. Hardware autofocus systems use light reflected by the sample to determine its position in real time, and then automatically bring the sample back into focus. This can reduce sample scanning times by up to 95%, when compared to contrast-based autofocus methods.

As microscopy samples become more complex and new imaging modalities become more accessible, however, microscopists are finding that off-the-shelf hardware autofocus solutions cannot perform effectively in some cases. This talk will discuss how an adaptable hardware autofocus solution can be used with multiple imaging techniques and samples through optimization of various parameters and careful consideration of optical design.

About the presenter
Simon Bush is product manager at Prior Scientific Instruments Ltd. He completed a master’s degree by research in plant cell biology at Durham University and has spent a decade in the microscopy field in a variety of technical and commercial roles. He has experience of a very broad spectrum of microscopy applications and systems, including high-end life science imaging with super-resolution microscopes, industrial inspection and image analysis with artificial intelligence. At Prior Scientific, he is responsible for overseeing the development of new microscopy automation products, customized microscopes and OEM imaging systems.