Super 3D nano-scale microscopes
The EU-funded 'Resolution enhanced microscopy for medical diagnostics' (REMEDI) project was initiated to develop a stable 3D microscope system capable of nanometre-scale resolution. Researchers worked on improving stability by either ensuring constant temperature for all the device components or a feedback system to allow realignments in real time. REMEDI developed an effective innovative concept for such a microscope. One reason for success is the use of materials with good vibration-damping capabilities and minimal or similar levels of thermal expansion. These features significantly reduced short-term instabilities. To improve accuracy and shorten acquisition times, scientific complementary metal–oxide semiconductor (sCMOS) camera technology were combined with application-specific read-out schemes. The large sCMOS camera chip size allows the side-by-side projection of 2 images with good vertical position accuracy down to 20 nanometres. Scientists successfully validated these methods using two types of microscope applications. Diagnostic or experimental pathology is applied in the case of breast cancer and tumour immunology for lymphoma cells. Successful commercialisation of this microscopy system will revolutionise medicine by enabling cell-based clinical diagnostics for early detection of diseases like cancer. Relevant molecular processes and interactions can now be studied to identify disease types and to personalise medical therapy.
Keywords
Medical imaging, diagnostics, cancer, light microscopy, single-molecule localisation
