microscope performance

Daybook 2 is the analysis software linked to argoligth slides. It tests the performance of microscopes on various levels: illumination homogeneity, field distortion, lateral resolving power, stage drift, chromatic aberrations, intensity response... It works with various file formats but requires the use of an argolight test slide. 

Assess the performance of the lasers, the objective lenses and other key components required for optimum confocal operation.

The macro generates orthogonal projections from bead images along the lateral and axial dimensions which are displayed using a customized look-up-table to color code intensities. A Gaussian curve is fit to the intensity profile of a fluorescent bead image and full-with-at-half-maximum (FWHM) values are extracted, and listed next to theoretical values for comparison. 

This plugin allows measuring relevant parameters which helps testing, following and comparing microscopes performances. This is achieved by extracting four indicators out of standardized images, acquired from standardized samples: the estimation of the detector sensitivity, the evaluation of the field illumination homogeneity, the system resolution, and finally the characterization of its spectral registration.