During operation of the system, a sample of the biological material is placed against a surface of a waveguide, which is comprised of a UV-transparent waveguide material. Then, the system launches UV light from a UV light source via side-illumination into an input end of the waveguide, wherein a launch angle for components of the UV light is greater than a critical angle between the waveguide material and air, so that the UV light propagates through the waveguide via total internal reflection to reach the sample. The launch angle is also less than a critical angle between the waveguide material and the sample, so that when the UV light reaches the sample, the UV light escapes the waveguide through refraction to illuminate the sample. Finally, an imaging mechanism located on an opposite side of the waveguide from the sample captures an image of the illuminated sample.

A microscope system includes: a microscope optical system that includes an ocular lens and forms an optical image of a sample on an object side of the ocular lens; a processor that generates auxiliary image data based on information regarding a target slide selected from among a plurality of ordered slides included in a slide set; and a superimposing device that superimposes, based on the auxiliary image data, an auxiliary image including the target slide on an image plane on which the optical image is formed. The processor selects, in response to an instruction to switch the target slide, a slide determined according to a first order in which the plurality of slides are ordered as a new target slide.

A microscope system includes: a microscope optical system that includes an ocular lens and forms an optical image of a sample on an object side of the ocular lens; a processor that generates auxiliary image data based on information regarding a target slide selected from among a plurality of ordered slides included in a slide set; and a superimposing device that superimposes, based on the auxiliary image data, an auxiliary image including the target slide on an image plane on which the optical image is formed. The processor selects, in response to an instruction to switch the target slide, a slide determined according to a first order in which the plurality of slides are ordered as a new target slide.

A vacuum manifold for filtration microscopy includes a manifold top having multiple openings, and a capture membrane positioned above and spaced apart from the manifold top, where the capture membrane is configured to deflect into contact with a surface of the manifold top when a negative pressure is applied to the multiple openings. A method for filtration microscopy includes the steps of providing a vacuum manifold including a manifold top having a plurality of openings, and a capture membrane positioned above and spaced apart from the manifold top; applying sample drops to sample spots on the membrane, the sample spots positioned above the plurality of openings; applying a negative pressure to the openings such that the capture membrane contacts a surface of the manifold top; and optically imaging particulates on the capture membrane.

A shield coating on a microscope slide, and particularly a selective application of a paraffin layer to shield biomaterials and inorganic chemical deposits from microbial attack and oxidation, aid more particularly, an application of a paraffin layer on a microscope slide as an exposure shield over deposited biomaterial reactive targets. The paraffin shield layer blocks the biomaterial and chemical targets from exposure, which may lead to degradation due to oxidation and provides resistance to fungal growth, while using the existing stain processing steps to remove the paraffin from the shield and co-resident tissue section.

A shield coating on a microscope slide, and particularly a selective application of a paraffin layer to shield biomaterials and inorganic chemical deposits from microbial attack and oxidation, aid more particularly, an application of a paraffin layer on a microscope slide as an exposure shield over deposited biomaterial reactive targets. The paraffin shield layer blocks the biomaterial and chemical targets from exposure, which may lead to degradation due to oxidation and provides resistance to fungal growth, while using the existing stain processing steps to remove the paraffin from the shield and co-resident tissue section.

A microscope slide for histological or cytological use with a non-inverted optical microscope, comprising a substantially flat elongated body, the body comprising a first surface and a second surface spaced from the first surface, the body comprising an aperture through the body, wherein the second surface is substantially flat and an optically transparent coverslip is mounted on the second surface to cover the aperture. In some embodiments, the microscope slide further comprises an opaque black sealant within said aperture.

A microscope slide for histological or cytological use with a non-inverted optical microscope, comprising a substantially flat elongated body, the body comprising a first surface and a second surface spaced from the first surface, the body comprising an aperture through the body, wherein the second surface is substantially flat and an optically transparent coverslip is mounted on the second surface to cover the aperture. In some embodiments, the microscope slide further comprises an opaque black sealant within said aperture.

Disclosed herein is a method of acquiring a high-resolution scan of a biological sample disposed on a substrate with a scanning device, the method comprising: receiving, on a graphical user interface, a first user input corresponding to user configurable scanning settings; receiving, on a graphical user interface, a second user input to initiate scanning based on the received series of user inputs corresponding to user configurable scanning settings; and displaying, on the graphical user interface, a visualization of one or more placeholders populated with one or more of scanning operation status information, image data, and at least a portion of the user configurable scanning settings.

Various examples of systems and methods are provided for slide processing. In one example, among others, a system for processing microscope slides includes a slide positioner that can adjust a position of a slide and a slide treatment system that can dispense a micro stream of a fluid at a location on the slide when the slide is positioned beneath a jet nozzle of the slide treatment system. The system can include a slide sled that can align a smearing slide with a surface of the slide including a fluid sample is disposed, and support the smearing slide at a predefined angle with respect to the surface of the slide. In another example, a method includes obtaining a slide including a sample disposed on a surface, positioning the slide below to a jet nozzle, and dispensing a micro stream of a fluid onto the sample using the jet nozzle.