The 2Brothers
The 2Brothers project is a versatile microscopy imaging platform. The system is designed to be modular, allowing rapid switching between two main operating modes to accommodate a range of experimental needs.
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(i) Low-magnification imaging (up to 10×) with moderate acquisition rates able to operate in both transmitted and reflected-light configuration.
This mode utilizes the left CMOS camera (Kiralux® 1.3 MP), which can acquire full-frame images at up to 165 frames per second.
For ongoing research activities, this configuration is particularly useful for flow visualization experiments. One key application is the reconstruction of flow fields through Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), where videos of particle-seeded flowing solutions are recorded and subsequently analyzed to extract velocity information.
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Example of image sequence used to reconstruct velocity fields.
(ii) High-magnification imaging (up to 40× using a Nikon Plan Fluorite objective) with transmitted-fluorescence capability.
This mode utilizes the right sCMOS camera (Quantalux® 2.1 MP), which enables image acquisition with relatively low read noise. The illumination path includes an integrated slot for rapid insertion of bandpass filters, while an additional filter slot is positioned near the tube lens. This configuration allows the setup to operate as a transmitted-fluorescence imaging system.
Example image of fluorescently labelled 8 µm particles acquired using the described setup.