Cost-effective scanning digital microscopic system for wide field-of-view and high-resolution biomedical imaging

Abstract Microscopes serve as indispensable tools for exploring the microcosm and conducting biological detection. However, traditional microscopes fail to balance the field of view and resolution, limiting wide-field imaging capabilities. Here, we propose a low-cost, wide-field, high-resolution digital microscopy imaging system, providing high-quality and versatile microscopy tools for budget-constrained laboratories. The design of this system is based on the low-cost mechanical scanning and positioning platform provided by a computer numerical control (CNC) router architecture. The use of a transmitted light structure ensures uniform field illumination for both bright-field and fluorescence microscopy. Utilizing a 20× objective lens, this microscopy system achieves clear imaging of 1μm particles and rapidly acquires hundreds of microscopic images for subsequent stitching, thus achieving high-resolution wide-field imaging in both bright-field and fluorescence modes. The system integrates the advantages of wide-field, high-resolution imaging, and high-throughput image acquisition, providing a cost-effective solution for wide-field microscopy.