Medical Design Briefs - August 2021 - 45

■ Understanding the Application
Often new life science and medical
diagnostic products or techniques are
first established using high-end laboratory
grade microscopes. To address the
market or application needs, the final
product must meet specific imaging
performance, size, and cost requirements.
Digital imaging technology has
enabled more compact and lower cost
microscope instruments in many markets.
In microscopy, low-cost CMOS
cameras and lower power, efficient
light sources have enabled the development
of high- volume commercial
products that incorporate sophisticated
scientific techniques. The following
questions should be evaluated at the
start of the product development
process.
* If a general-purpose microscope is
being used today, can the core functionality
be implemented in a simplified
design?
* What existing techniques are used to
make the measurement currently?
* What technologies (photonic, mechanical)
can be implemented to reduce
cost or complexity?
It is critical to ensure a successful start
to the product development process to
understand the use case.
■ Defining the Use Case
An understanding of what is being
imaged or detected (100s or 1000s of single
cells over a large area (i.e., field-of-view
or sub-micron features or molecules within
a single cell) is critical early in the
design process. Next, it is important that
the engineer or designer understands how
the image data will be used. Will it be
processed or analyzed by a computer algorithm
(i.e., machine learning/artificial
intelligence), or will a human be interacting
with the image (i.e., zooming or panning
to certain areas across the entire
image)? Understanding the use case and
how image quality meets the user's needs
is a crucial first step in developing the optical
imaging performance requirements of
the new microscope system and has a significant
impact on how to design the imaging
optic and other critical optical assemblies
(the tube lens, for example). How
the product will be used informs the final
image quality needed. In turn, this information
is used to develop the specifications
of the image sensor and optical system.
When a custom microscopy system is
being developed, achieving the imaging
performance (i.e., optical resolution)
required to meet the use case and no
more is critical and helps ensure that the
complete concept to product commercialization
can be conducted on time and on
budget and leads to a product that is successful
commercially.
■ Optical Resolution vs. Camera
Resolution
In modern digital imaging instruments,
the final image quality is determined
by the combination of four primary
components: display, image processing,
image sensor, and optical assemblies
or optical subsystem, composed of
the imaging lens and illumination.
Finding the right balance of specifications
for each subsystem is key to avoid
overdesigning the product. It is also critical
to achieving product cost targets
when manufactured in volume. Prop -
erly matching the optical resolution to
the image sensor is an important step in
the design process. The optimal match
is determined through a complete
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Medical Design Briefs - August 2021

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