Acquisition Software: PrairieView

PrairieView is an user friendly software that controls all of the scanning and image collection functions of the Ultima. Image size, scan rate, pan, zoom, scan rotation, PMT settings, laser wavelength and power level, file saving and naming are all easily set and controlled using PrairieView.

 

Features:

Custom Scan sizes:
The software allows the user to define a rectangular scan pattern, where the number of rows of x is not equal to the number of columns in y.

Integrated X, Y, Z control:
The integrated stage and focus controls allow the user to move in x, y, and z directions and save these stage locations within the software.

Interlaced Scanning:
Interlaced scan patterns allow acquisition of frames using up to four different independent laser settings alternating each line for higher temporal resolution than is possible with using labels to alternate settings each frame.

Custom Objective Calibration:
A semi-automated process for calibrating any objective for the software.

Custom Z-Series:
The Z-series tab contains the controls used to collect stacks of images called Z-Series or Z-Stacks. This tab allows the user to define start and stop positions, step size or number of steps and necessary laser power adjustments.

Custom T-Series:
The ability to generate a series of images and data using different labels, regions of interest (ROIs), XY stage locations, Z-Series, Photoactivation masks, and Triggers are possible in a T-Series.

Wavelength Series Calculator:
The Wavelength Series Calculator offers controls to vary the wavelength of tunable lasers. This control can be combined with a T-series to image samples as they change with different wavelengths.

Labels:
The Labels tab gives the user the flexibility to define and save a set of operational parameters for imaging control including laser power, PMT settings, channels and pixel dwell time.

Multiple image windows:
Different channels can be displayed in separate windows and also combined to show several channels in one window.

Freeze:
Freezes current image contents in window. Data for each channel continues to update, but is not shown in frozen image windows.

BOT:
Used for measurement of average pixel intensity of user-defined regions to be monitored over time. This feature can be used on some active image collections and all collected data sets including W-Series.

Custom Linescan:
Create a custom linescan with standard straight line, free-hand line or a circular (continuous) line.

Look Up Tables:
Adjustable histogram for each active channel. Used to adjust the display intensity scale for an image.

Regions of Interest:
It is possible to define a small portion of the sample to be imaged, which increases the scan rate.

: Saves the current image displayed in the image window.

: The line profile tool displays a plot of intensity along a user-defined line on each of the active channels. If the current objective is calculated, it also represents the length of the line.

Photoactivation:
Used to define masks to limit laser exposure to certain areas. The button is only active when playing back a z-stack.

Maximum Intensity Projection:
Displays the maximum intensity profile for a stack of images. The button is only active when playing back a z-stack.

Mark:
Allows the user to mark points to uncage at on an image from PrairieView. This is only available with TriggerSync.

Fluorescence Unmixing :
A percentage of a given channel can be subtracted from another channel, and added back to the original channel. This is to correct for bleed-through of signals from one channel to another.