Development of an Autoscan Motorized Microscope Utilizing the OpenFlexure Architecture

This paper presents the design, development, and implementation of an autoscan motorized microscope based on the OpenFlexure Architecture-a modular and cost-effective platform for motorized microscopy. To achieve high-quality specimen imaging, traditional methodologies often require manual manipulation of the specimen along the X-Y-Z axes by a specialist. In enhancing the OpenFlexure platform, our modification introduces automated scan and autofocus features. This augmentation facilitates efficient specimen scanning, reducing dependency on manual manipulation and advancing the capabilities of the architecture. By mitigating the vignette issue, utilizing a multi-extended depth of field, and incorporating photo stitching, the experimental results substantiate the system's capacity to generate a large autofocus image from 11x11 photos in under 10 minutes. These outcomes underscore its potential for a broad spectrum of scientific and medical applications.