Overview

The OpenFlexure Delta Stage is an open source 3-axis motorised stage. It can be used just as a positioning stage, or can be built into a microscope by adding optics modules. The stage travel is larger than the 3-axis OpenFlexure Block Stage, but with less fine motion. When built as a microscope, the sample moves in 3-axes with stationary optics, which is different from the OpenFlexure Microscope where the sample moves in x-y and the optics module moves in z to focus. The fixed optics of a microscope based on the OpenFlexure Delta Stage enables use of heavy or complicated optics for advanced microscopy modes, including laser microscopy. For conventional wide field microscopy the OpenFlexure Microscope is usually more suitable.

Where can I find it?

To use the Delta Stage take a look at the assembly instructions. The source code for the current version of the Delta Stage lives on our Gitlab repository. You can download the STL files from our build server but note that you will not need to print all of the parts as there are different versions.

Publications

Our paper describing all of our design decisions and the current functionality of the OpenFlexure Delta Stage Microscope can be found in Optics Express.

It has been presented at RMS Virtual Frontiers in BioImaging 2020, with a pre-recorded talk. The stage has also been used in some very nice work by the Cambridge Sensors CDT students on an Optical Projection Tomography system which is described in Scientific Reports and Lab on the Cheap. More projects which have used the Delta Stage can be seen in the publications page.

If you use the delta stage, please let us know in the Forum!