How to Choose the Right Microscope Camera For Bio-fluorescence Applications
Over the years, camera manufacturers have developed refrigerating cameras to reduce image sensor temperature and dark current noise, dark current noise is a large source of noise for long exposure time applications. In many applications of life science, it is necessary to cool the image sensor in order to satisfy the desired true image quality as much as possible. Of course, whether to use single-stage refrigeration or two-stage refrigeration, we must weigh the cost when designing high-end professional cameras.
With advances in technology, microprocessors and electronic components have shrunk in size and become more efficient. Advances in image sensor technology can provide low noise output. These changes reduce the amount of dark current that is injected into the image. Although there is still some dark current noise, the problem is whether the dark current noise has a more significant effect on the image quality when compared to the sensor’s reading noise.
However, the demand for refrigeration cameras has not been re-evaluated in many applications. In view of the advancement of uncooled camera technology, many researchers have found that the performance of today's uncooled cameras has surpassed the performance of older refrigeration cameras. By selecting a high-quality, low-cost uncooled camera to meet imaging requirements, cost savings can be used to improve other aspects of the device, such as upgrading filter cubes, high NA objectives, computing devices or software.
However, the demand for refrigeration cameras has not been re-evaluated in many applications. In view of the advancement of uncooled camera technology, many researchers have found that the performance of today's uncooled cameras has surpassed the performance of older refrigeration cameras. By selecting a high-quality, low-cost uncooled camera to meet imaging requirements, cost savings can be used to improve other aspects of the device, such as upgrading filter cubes, high NA objectives, computing devices or software.
In his book "Is Cool the Rule for CCDs?", James Jonkman, manager of the Advanced Optical Microscopy Center (AOMF) at the University Health Network in Toronto, analyzed the results of refrigeration and uncooled cameras. He provided some detailed examples of these two types of camera imaging and compared the results. The conclusions of James Jonkman's analysis indicated that the cooling camera still has its place in some applications, and it is not necessary for other applications that have used refrigeration cameras in the past. If you're still using a refrigerated camera in the lab, maybe it's time to see if your imaging type really needs cooling. Can you see which of the two sets of pictures A and B below are taken by a cooling camera?