Quantitative low-cost webcam-based microscopy

摘要

Abstract. Digital web cameras (popularly known as webcams) have re-ncently gained a significant increase of relevance in the field of opticalnmicroscopy, in particular to allow for quick and do-it-yourself methods inndeveloping low-cost and portable microscopes suitable for life sciencesnand engineering applications in low-resource areas. Unfortunately, thesenmethods were published without any systematic explanation and quan-ntitative assessment of the imaging performances. We reproduce thesendo-it-yourself methods, discuss the optical considerations that are rele-nvant for them, and quantitatively compare their imaging performances tona commercial digital microscope in order to clarify both the advantagesnand disadvantages of the webcam-based microscopes. C u00022010 Society ofnPhoto-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.3517747]