Materials
Confocal microscopy, can be used to answer a large number of biological imaging questions in both live and fixed samples. However, it can also be applied to a variety of material applications where a visual output is required. Material imaging applications can utilise the material’s natural autofluorescence, or be used in combination with fluorescent dyes (resins, plastic polymers). Reflectance imaging can be used to map surface topography. These techniques may be used in singly or in combination and may be combined with transmitted light modes such that three dimensional images can be built up.
Examples of material imaging using the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) are:
- imaging pits/defects in the surface of many materials, including metal and plastic. It should be noted that imaging of some materials (eg polymers) with SEM can be notoriously difficult due to their high dielectric constant, but are easily imaged with the CLSM in reflectance mode
- studies on the tooth filling bond interface. The resin/composite material can be doped with a fluorescent dye, the dentine and enamel are imaged using their inherent autoflouresce
- imaging surface replicas of silicone impressions of materials with complex surface topography which due to their nature or size cannot be imaged directly
- imaging minute oil droplets trapped in mineral deposits, taken from oil well exploration drilling cores, the oil autofluoresces
- imaging electrodes that have been used in biological fuel cells
