page_title: Confocal microscopy
section_title: Biology and medicine
hierarchical_section_title: Confocal microscopy / Uses / Biology and medicine
caption_attribution_description: English: Merged stack of confocal images showing actin filaments, stained with phalloidin, in an osteosarcoma cell line (U2OS). The image has been colour coded in the z-axis to show where different types of filaments are found. Resolution: 23.5938 pixels per micron Pixel Size: 42.4 nm x 42.4 nm
context_page_description: Confocal microscopy, most frequently confocal laser scanning microscopy or laser confocal scanning microscopy, is an optical imaging technique for increasing optical resolution and contrast of a micrograph by means of using a spatial pinhole to block out-of-focus light in image formation. Capturing multiple two-dimensional images at different depths in a sample enables the reconstruction of three-dimensional structures within an object. This technique is used extensively in the scientific and industrial communities and typical applications are in life sciences, semiconductor inspection and materials science.
  Light travels through the sample under a conventional microscope as far into the specimen as it can penetrate, while a confocal microscope only focuses a smaller beam of light at one narrow depth level at a time. The CLSM achieves a controlled and highly limited depth of focus.
context_section_description: Clinically, CLSM is used in the evaluation of various eye diseases, and is particularly useful for imaging, qualitative analysis, and quantification of endothelial cells of the cornea. It is used for localizing and identifying the presence of filamentary fungal elements in the corneal stroma in cases of keratomycosis, enabling rapid diagnosis and thereby early institution of definitive therapy. Research into CLSM techniques for endoscopic procedures (endomicroscopy) is also showing promise. In the pharmaceutical industry, it was recommended to follow the manufacturing process of thin film pharmaceutical forms, to control the quality and uniformity of the drug distribution.
caption: Example of a stack of confocal microscope images showing the distribution of actin filaments throughout a cell.
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