Confocal imaging for 3-D digital microscopy.

Optical serial sectioning based on the depth-discriminating ability of confocal laser scanning can be combined with digital image processing to realize fast and easy-to-use 3-D microscopy. A great advantage as compared with traditional methods, e.g., using a microtome, is that the specimen is left undamaged. An account is given of an instrument designed for this purpose and of feasibility studies that have been carried out to assess the usefulness of the method in fluorescence microscopy.