Production of 3D printed scale models from microscope volume datasets for use in STEM education
Production of 3D printed scale models from microscope volume datasets for use in STEM education
复制标题
利用显微镜体积数据集制作 3D 打印比例模型，用于 STEM 教育
DOI：
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发表时间：
2017
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
A. Hayes
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Iain Perry;J. Szeto;Marc D. Isaacs;E. Gealy;Rebecca Rose;S. Scofield;P. Watson;A. Hayes
在微观水平上理解生物样品的三维形态是对细胞生物学、组织发育和生长进行功能性理解的先决条件。通过复合光显微镜获得的显微样品的图像通常从单个方向以二维记录和表示，使得难以从2D信息推断3D上下文。商业化的快速，基于激光的显微镜系统（如共聚焦，多光子或光片显微镜）能够生成体积数据集的微观样品通过光学切片，再加上计算机技术的进步，使这些数据集的准确体绘制，促进了显着改善我们的三维理解的微观世界在虚拟空间。负担得起的3D打印技术的出现现在提供了从这些显微镜体积数据集生成形态准确的物理模型的前景，用于科学教育，推广和参与。3D打印的比例复制品将提供更好的感官感知，提供触觉和视觉交互，从而提高对结构功能关系的理解。在这里，我们提出了一种技术，使用经济实惠的入门级3D打印技术，从共焦和光片显微镜的光学切片的Z堆栈中可靠地生成详细的物理3D模型。我们使用该技术生成各种不同生物样本的3D打印模型，包括两种植物的花粉粒;来自人类和昆虫的血细胞，植物根的一部分;蚂蚁的复眼;和发育中的斑马鱼幼虫;所有这些都已用于我们的教学，参与和推广活动。原则上，我们的方法可以用于从任何小型荧光或反射样品的显微镜体积数据集生成3D打印模型。
Understanding the three-dimensional morphology of a biological sample at the microscopic level is a prerequisite to a functional understanding of cell biology, tissue development and growth. Images of microscopic samples obtained by compound light microscopy are customarily recorded and represented in two dimensions from a single orientation making it difficult to extrapolate 3D context from the 2D information. The commercialisation of fast, laser-based microscope systems (e.g. confocal, multi-photon or lightsheet microscopy) capable of generating volume datasets of microscopic samples through optical sectioning, coupled with advances in computer technology allowing accurate volume rendering of these datasets, have facilitated significant improvement in our 3D understanding of the microscopic world in virtual space. The advent of affordable 3D printing technology now offers the prospect of generating morphologically accurate, physical models from these microscope volume datasets for use in science education, outreach and engagement. 3D printed scale replicas will provide improved sensory perception, offering tactile as well as visual interaction, leading to improved understanding of structure function relationships. Here we present a technique to reliably generate detailed, physical 3D models from Z-stacks of optical sections from confocal and lightsheet microscopes using affordable, entry-level 3D printing technology. We use the technique to generate 3D printed models of a variety of different biological samples at a range of scales including pollen grains from two species of plant; blood cells from both human and earthworm species, a section of plant root; the compound eye of an ant; and a developing Zebrafish larva; all of which have been used in our teaching, engagement and outreach activities. Our methods can, in principle, be used to generate 3D printed models from microscope volume datasets of any small fluorescent or reflective samples.