Advances in internetwork data transmission rates and reductions in the cost of imaging components and applications have facilitated real-time sharing of video, still images, and microscope operating systems with collaborators or observers at remote locations. Specialized direct and web-based systems for transmission electron microscopy have been described previously. However, in order to develop a generic and flexible means of sharing live images and data from light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscope instruments, a telemicroscopy system was configured using readily available components and software that can be adapted for use with most common computer operating and networking systems.

Figure 1 diagrams the general configuration used in our laboratory. Input devices can include inexpensive desktop digital or analog video cameras, specialized fast or slow scan CCD cameras, and the analog video-screen signal generated by scanning electron microscopes. For transmission through TCP/IP networks, analog signals must be digitized with a frame grabber card.