The stereo microscope has been around since the late 1600’s. This can be achieved by various methods, including viewing in 3D in microscope, realtime 3D rendering, non realtime volumetric or surface rendering, or viewing and manipulating a virtual slide. 3D refers to viewing something in three dimensions- X, Y and Z and usually being able to rotate the scene, such as with a model of a 3D cell. There may be some confusion as to what is actually meant by 3D. As technology has evolved, more has been achieved to go from 2-D to 3-D including developing microscopy that generates real time 3-D imaging. With the use of electron microscopy, we have also been able to view the 3-D surface of cells. At one point it was up to the investigator’s imagination to generate these images and simply draw them to the best of their ability. All of that is used to generate a 2-D image.įor 3-dimensional (3-D) images, there has to be a bit more work involved. A drop of specialized oil is placed on the slide to reduce the air between the actual slide and the lens of the microscope. Then on top of that, for even better resolution the investigator would use oil immersion.
Specifically in cytological (cells) or histological (tissue samples), the sample size has to be super thin before being placed between two glass slides in order to be seen due to light penetrance and other issues. Most of the samples had to be flattened in order to allow the light to pass through them in order to create a clear image. While the more common light microscopy was able to illuminate the microscopic world, it came at a cost: 2-dimensional (2-D) imaging. However, these microscopic techniques have some limitations. With microscopy, we were now able to get a closer look at these highly impactful organisms and gain more information. Prior to the invention of the first microscopes, most information about the unseen, microscopic world was merely theoretical at best. Microscopy has opened the doors to a whole new world of discovery. 3D images such as volume or surface renderings may be produced in realtime or through the process of 3D reconstruction.
Other types including transmission electron microscopes and light microscopes may output to 3D utilizing extra steps. In general, microscopes that produce 3D images include dissecting microscopes, confocal microscopes, and scanning electron microscopes.
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