Innovative solutions for optical instrumentations: the power of 3D printing

Session

Poster Session

Authors

Maximilian Schuster (1), Robert Hauschild (1)

Affiliations

1. Institute of Science and Technology Austria

Keywords

Abstract text

The ability of 3D printing has reshaped production methods, offering new and exciting opportunities for innovation and cost reduction across industries. In the area of microscopy and optical development, the integration of 3D printed components is surging, as it enhances flexibility, cost-efficiency and adaptability to individual research needs.

3D printing emerges as a transformative solution, allowing rapid prototyping and production of novel tools for microscopes, tailored to the specific requirements of diverse research projects. The ability to swiftly adapt designs and fabricate components empowers researchers to explore new setups for their experiments, pushing the boundaries of microscopy and imaging capabilities.

Such benefits are of special gain for centralized infrastructures, such as Imaging Core Facilities, hosting a wide variety of instrumentation from various vendors, as well as many different research applications. We share an insight into an increasing demand on flexibility in our facility infrastructure, fulfilled by the capabilities of 3D printing to meet the dynamic requirements of modern research. Our focus lies on simple and functional designs, aiming for an easy assembly and integration across different microscope types and vendors, by offering fast and efficient prototyping of tools and parts. We present a selection of our newly developed, low-cost solutions, which include:

• Front lens-imager: a tool for Quality Control, to check objectives for damage either directly on-stage or with an external stand
• Camera mounts: for c-mount, macroscopic and eyepiece cameras
• Caps to protect the optical window of unmounted cameras
• Stage-inserts for a wide variety of sample carriers, including: single- and multiple slides, petri-dishes, well plates and chambered slides of various dimensions
• Stage-spacers: to seal an artificial atmosphere with enriched CO2 and humidity around the sample carrier
• Various storage containers for optical filters and objectives
• Protective caps for objectives: to prevent damage from crashing into the stage as well as from influx of immersion fluids
• Replacement of (manual) switches in the light path

Importantly, we strive to make these tools available to the Imaging community by sharing links to ease the reproduction of the shared tools and parts.