An algorithmically or remotely controlled microscope coupled to fluid sample processing and sample changing systems is proposed as an easy-access light microscopy system including a novel condenser with no moving parts, a remotely controlled translating stage with hollow slides, and a color video camera with image processing and analysis. This system will be useful when the U. S. Light Microscopy Module on ISS is out of service in 2017-2018. In phase I research Techshot will produce a functioning laboratory prototype of this system.
Techshot expects to commercialize the proposed ISS microscopy system by incorporating it into the company's spaceflight services program it offers to other Government agencies like NIH, NSF, and DoD. In combination with the long list of other proven and new flight hardware developed by Techshot this capability is expected to greatly expand the company's range of services. In addition to in-space users interested in the life sciences, the microscopy system is especially applicable to industrial research on the dynamics of colloids and particle suspensions found in the food, cosmetic, paint, pharmaceutical and composite industries. For example, the pharmaceutical industry is very interested in how protein crystals grow but has not previously been able to monitor repeated experiments in space where improved crystals are grown.
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