chalk tip #25: setting camera gains

Today's tip is for those of you using a ScanScope instrument.

Did you know?  A wide range of scanning problems can be solved by setting the camera gains.  And this is easy to do:

1. In the ScanScope Console main window, navigate to the Start tab.  Click "Manual Load".
2. Load a clean tissue slide into the slide tray (on CS systems) or onto the scanning stage (on XT systems).
3. Click "Manual Scan".  The system will retract the stage and capture a macro image.
4. Navigate to the Tools menu at the top of the Console main window.  Select Configure.
5. In the Configure window, click on the "Motion Properties" tab.
6. Click on "Set Line Camera Gains".  The system will find the tissue on the slide and focus as if it's scanning the slide.
   
   
7. After the system finishes setting the camera gains, ensure the calibration image displayed is clean of dust/tissue and light grey in color.  If the calibration image is dark or does not show correct color balance, the bulb may need to be replaced.

Simple, eh?  Next time you’re at a ScanScope, please try it. 

BONUS TIP: One of the most popular scanning errors is: “Unable to obtain macro focus after 5 attempts”.  If you receive this error, try setting the camera gains as a way to address it.