Development of a Microscope Stage with Light-Emitting Diodes to Upgrade a Traditional Microscope to a Fluorescence Microscope

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Fluorescence microscopy is a useful tool that allows students to learn the principles of fluorescence visually in chemical and biological fields. However, fluorescence equipment has high purchase and maintenance costs and thus may not be available in educational institutions or insufficiently funded laboratories. In this study, a microscope stage with colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was designed that enabled the conversion of a traditional inverted microscope into a fluorescence microscope with a view to reducing these costs. A 3D printer was used to produce a microscope stage with 12 holes on the back side, and a standard colored LED was mounted into each hole. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, Hoechst 33342- and fluorescein diacetate-stained fish-derived PLHC-1 cells were observed using an inverted microscope with this stage. Subsequently, images of the PLHC-1 cells were captured, and they exhibited bright fluorescence. This system can be assembled easily and can be operated by teachers, researchers, and even students. Therefore, it is a useful learning resource for fluorescence detection in educational institutions or laboratories that are not well-funded.