Digital Microscopes and Video

Most people using digital microscopes capture still images, but rarely capture video, or time-lapse video. But for educational organisations video can reveal an enormous amount. In one instance a physics teacher videoed the commutator on a hand cranked generator and replayed it step by step explaining to his students how the commutator worked. Another teacher videoed in time lapse a Monarch butterfly going through metamorphosis from pupa to adult.

In this blog I have included a beetle feeding. This was captured with a digital microscope.

For information about digital microscopes that capture video and time-lapse video go to the microscope-shop.com.au

Our new digital microscope, the iMicro Pro, is ideal for schools and universities implementing BYOD. It can be used with Windows, Mac OS and iPads, iPhones and Android devices. It connects by USB, or WiFi.

WiFi has some great features - firstly no need to connect by a cable and so the microscope can be at a distance from the device and secondly it can connect to multiple devices simultaneously so a number of students can view the same image from the one microscope.

For more information about this and other digital microscopes visit the microscope-shop.com.au.

Digital microscopes support Australian Conservators

Recently I presented a workshop with Annaliese Treacy to conservators at the Art Gallery of NSW. This allowed me to see first hand how conservators in Australian libraries, art galleries and museums use digital microscopes. Annaliese is a conservator at the gallery, where she and her colleagues use a range of digital microscopes including polarising and fluorescent models.

Annalise’ assessment of digital microscopes as a tool for conservators follows

A novel way of viewing and measuring Stomata

Recently I visited the head of science at Launceston Church Grammar School, Steve Lockwood.  We were attempting to measure the diameter of red blood cells using a TLI Digital Eyepiece and the TLI Scope software. Once we had calibrated the software we measured the diameter of several cells and then played with the count mode of the software. Steve then showed me some of the images he had captured with the digital eyepiece. One of these images was of a preparation of stomata he had made by coating the underside of the leaf with nail polish. 

The following is his description of the process

Ask an Expert – Sydney University’s excellent source of information.

Recently I found myself being bitten by small insects. These bites resulted in significant inflammation and irritation.

I grabbed one of our digital microscopes (TLI mTech 5 MP) and captured several images of the culprit. Being a physicist, not an entomologist, I had no idea what insect was attacking me. I could go to Google and search millions of insect photos in the hope that I would find a match, or I could Find an Expert, that is, use University of Sydney’s great service for the public and particularly teachers and students.

Within 24 hours I had my answer courtesy of Prof Richard C.
Russell. His response -

Definitely larval ticks in the second and third image.
Grass ticks , so-called, are generally the larval stage of Ixodes species ticks (e.g. Ixodes holocyclus) in coastal NSW. Female ticks lay many hundreds/thousands of eggs at a time, and the hatching larvae do not move far from the eggs site (usually in grassy/brush habitats with high humidity), and so it is not unusual for a person to encounter many larvae attaching at a time. Unless removed, they will normally stay on for a few days to feed (causing irritation and perhaps a rash) then drop off. There are generally no longer term problems, although in sensitive individuals the associated itching may persist for some time, and there may be some hardening of the skin at the bite site (which will resolve in due course).

           

Digital microscopes and education.

Many teachers ask me how digital microscopes can be used. Here are some suggestions from Jill Clothier at Brisbane Boys Grammar School.

The TLI USB Scope 2 is  an excellent microscope for viewing stomata on the underside of leaves.  Plants such as Tradescantia and Begonia with their purple/red colours make good specimens.  Did you know some begonia species have 4 guard cells?  There is no need to do a leaf tear or paint with nail polish and then try to prise the layer off.  The light source is from above so can be used with solid specimens.

Here is a another thing I have discovered:

When using a AverVision document reader( with the TLI Scope measurement software loaded onto the computer) to capture bacterial growth in a petri dish, I was able to use the count function to analyse the culture.

Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) acquires Polarizing digital microscope.

Based on the shores of Sydney Harbour, Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) conducts marine research including Urbanisation, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ocean Resources, and Marine Management.