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	Fluorescence Microscopy Laboratory directors, managers, supervisors, and senior technologists must always consider ways to make their laboratory services more efficient, effective, and economical. Fluorescence microscopy can help. It can add a significant dimension to laboratory services, so laboratory management should include fluorescence microscopy in routine laboratory programs. Common questions about fluorescence microscopy are:
	Why use fluorescence? What is fluorescence microscopy? How is fluorescence microscopy used? What are fluorescence microscopy advantages? How can fluorescence microscopy improve services? How can fluorescence microscopy reduce laboratory costs? Answers to these questions strongly recommend fluorescence microscopy to laboratories that support clinical diagnosis, public health, environment testing, and medical research. What is fluorescence? Fluorescence is light produced by a substance when it is stimulated by another light. Fluorescence is called "cold light" because it does not come from a hot source like an incandescent light bulb.
	What is fluorescence microscopy? Fluorescence microscopy is a unique way of using a microscope to discover facts about specimens that often are not shown by standard bright field microscopy. In bright field microscopy, specimens are illuminated from outside, below or above, and dark objects are seen against a light background. In fluorescence microscopy, specimens are self-illuminated by internal light, so bright objects are seen in vivid color against a dark background. Bright objects against dark backgrounds are more easily seen. This characteristic of fluorescence microscopy makes it very sensitive and specific. Fluorescence microscopy by epi-illumination is the most commonly used method today because it is simple to do, needs relatively simple equipment, and is efficient. Most specimens for fluorescence microscopy must be stained. Fluorescent stains are called "fluorochromes." Acridine orange, auramine O, and fluorescent antibody (FA) are the fluorochromes used most. How is fluorescence microscopy used? Uses of fluorescence microscopy are many and varied. They are in medicine, public health, biological research, and environment monitoring. The most common application is medical laboratory diagnosis. Fluorescent acid-fast staining with auramine O or acridine orange (AO) is used to improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Acridine orange (AO) also is used for efficient malaria diagnosis, early detection of bacteria in blood, and meningitis diagnosis. Fluorescent antibody (FA) provides specific rapid diagnostic tests for many other infectious diseases. Environment monitoring by fluorescence microscopy is easy, economical and efficient. Air and water samples are easily tested for microbial contamination using epifluorescence microscopy. Organisms from these specimens first are trapped on membrane filters. Then they are detected quickly and identified in place, without need for culture. Thus, it provides very rapid testing. Epifluorescence microscopy is efficient for direct counting of microbes in food and diary products. It is used to test raw and pasteurized mile and is about 100 times more sensitive than standard culture methods. In some cases, disease organisms can be detected and identified only by fluorescence microscopy because they are hard to culture or because organisms in a specimen are dead. Thus, fluorescence microscopy is a powerful, yet economical, laboratory tool with a broad range of applications. What are fluorescence microscopy advantages? Advantages of fluorescence microscopy are due to its sensitivity, specificity, rapid testing, and easy use. It is easy to set up and do, provides rapid diagnostic tests, and can be very specific. Modern technology allows conversion of most compound microscopes easily and economically into effective fluorescence microscopes. How can fluorescence microscopy improve services? Improved laboratory services result from fluorescence microscopy by speeding laboratory testing and detecting organisms that other methods miss. When better results are obtained faster, reporting time is reduced, permitting corrective action earlier. How does fluorescence microscopy reduce laboratory costs? Laboratory costs often can be reduced using fluorescence microscopy. Fluorochrome dyes are effective at very dilute concentrations, 1:10,000 or greater. Thus, the cost per test for stain is very low. Often, as when detecting bacteria in blood cultures, fluorescence microscopy can replace expensive, slow sub-cultures, saving both time and expensive culture media. It dramatically reduces technician time per test, further reducing costs. For example, examining a TB sputum slide by the standard Ziehl-Nielsen stain requires 15-20 minutes. Using fluorescent acid-fast stain, this time can be reduced to 2-3 minutes. In many other ways, specific and sensitive fluorescence microscopy methods can replace conventional bacteriological cultures, saving money. Summary Thus, for many reasons, laboratory directors, supervisors, managers, and senior technicians should strongly consider adding fluorescence microscopy to their technology options. It will significantly enhance their professional effectiveness.
	W.R. Sanborn Co. Low-Cost Fluorescence Microscopy P.O. Box 667, Solana Beach, California 92075, USA Tel. (858) 755-7385 . Fax (858) 259-6023 . Email: info@portmedtech.com
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