Scientists
rely heavily on incubators and microscopes. With this in mind the Fraunhofer
Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT has come up with a novel solution
that combines the functions of both these tools in a compact and extremely
small-scale system. It is ideally suited for time-lapse examination over a
number of weeks and for automatic observation of cell cultures. The incubator
microscope is no bigger than a soda can and costs 30 times less than buying an
incubator and a microscope separately. It will be on display for the first time
at MEDTEC in Stuttgart.
Cultivating
human and animal cells requires parameters such as temperature and humidity to
be specified with absolute precision and maintained at an even level over long
periods of time. Time-lapse observation over a period of some weeks can be
particularly valuable, since a lot happens in that time in terms of cell
reproduction and differentiation. Until now, the usual technique to make these
sorts of observations has been to use small incubators in combination with
conventional microscopes. This takes up about one square meter of space, making
operating several such systems alongside each other an inefficient process.
There is a need for innovative solutions that will significantly reduce the
space needed and the costs involved -- without compromising the quality of the
cultivation and of the microscope images recorded.
Posted by Tim Sandle
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