For many years, we have been viewing stereo images created from a wide variety of microscopic sources. These images need to be easily viewed, shared and presented for stereo imagery to become more mainstream. We have been working for several years now to create affordable high resolution stereo display systems using the modern digital computers’ display capabilities. In the last couple of years, two methods have come into widespread use in our laboratory. One using shuttered goggles and the other using an active polarizing screen in front of the monitor. Both are synchronized with the display at refresh rates that allow for flicker free viewing. We use standard video display cards and shuttered glasses that cost under $300 (complete).

Unfortunately, the software and video cards turn over at such a fast rate that we have found our hardware “orphaned” several times.