3D printed microscopes

Modular microscope building kits allow those interested in microscopy to get a hands-on introduction to the construction of a light microscope. For this reason, it would be appropriate to equip the laboratories of the Institute of Physical Engineering at Brno University of Technology with such a kit. The inspiration can be found in the open source project openUC2, which offers optical kits based on a combination of 3D printed and commercially available optical components. The aim of my work is to use the open source parts database and supplement it with my own designs that would enable the construction of specialized polarization and fluorescence microscopes. The first part of the thesis introduces light microscopy methods and the equipment that is essential for their proper operation. Next, the 3D printing methods that are applicable to the fabrication of the designed parts are summarized. Beyond the openUC2, the design of a Köhler illuminator, a motorized stage and a motorized objective slider based on commonly available parts are introduced. A transmission microscope, a reflective polarizing microscope and a light sheet microscope were designed based on the UC2 kit with my construction modules. The first two have been assembled and tested along with their control software