Laser-scanning
microscopes are indispensable tools for biomedical research.
Typically, commercial laser-scanning microscopes are controlled by
proprietary, purpose-designed electronic hardware and computer
software. It is often difficult if not impossible to adapt these
systems to new experimental needs, such as incorporating laser
microbeam systems for microsurgery or photoactivation. WiscScan was
built to address this difficulty. WiscScan combines nearly all the
functionality of a laser-scanning microscope/microbeam apparatus into
a single software package. This package controls scan waveform
generation, signal conditioning, and microbeam pointing. It runs
inside a commercial, general-purpose digital signal processor (DSP)
residing on a PCI card inside a desktop PC. This host computer loads
programs onto the DSP and provides control for microscope focusing
and stage movement through a graphical user interface. This
all-software approach has allowed us to develop a powerful and
flexible development platform for laser-scanning microscopes and has
facilitated the incorporation of new functionality such as
fluorescence excitation lifetime imaging.
What's new in WiscScan 7:
Support for New ASI firmware:
Can serially control ASI's MS-2000 motor controller
Support for Olympus Z-motor:
Can serilally control the Olympus BX61WI for Ultra
Support for a Motor Controll interface:
Can add as many new motor controllers as desired
Support For The Sutter Instrument Filter Wheel For SLIM:
Can control the SI filterwheel and save appropriate images and metadata
Metadata Recall:
Can recall the metadata for the previous experiment correctly.
This data is saved only after the first time it is entered at each login
For descriptions of past version updates, see Version History.
