Los Aiamos Laboratory and VayTek, Inc. recently announced the development of a prototype far the “Scanning Computed Confocal Imager” or Virtual Pinhole Microscope. This breakthrough technology takes advantage of existing improvements in digital image systems, but configures functional subsystems in a novel way that eliminates many of the limitations and much of the expense associated with conventional confocal imagery.

One of the key elements of the new Imager is the use of a “virtual” aperture. The virtual aperture is implemented in software on a host computer, such as a penti urn-based computer or a Power Mac. It's possible, with this system, to adjust key parameters (such as effective aperture size) to optimize the image even after the basic data are acquired. Several algorithms have been used to produce images similar to those acquired through conventional confocal microscopy.