 A time-lapse microscope. The transparent cell incubator is necessary to keep cells alive during observation. | |
| Other names | (Time-lapse) microcinematograph, (Time-lapse) video microscope, Time-lapse cinemicrograph |
|---|---|
| Uses | Observation of slow microscopic processes |
| Inventor | Jean Comandon and other contemporaries |
| Related items | Time-lapse photography, Live-cell imaging |
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Time-lapse microscopy is time-lapse photography applied to microscopy. Microscope image sequences are recorded and then viewed at a greater speed to give an accelerated view of the microscopic process.
Before the introduction of the video tape recorder in the 1960s, time-lapse microscopy recordings were made on photographic film. During this period, time-lapse microscopy was referred to as microcinematography. With the increasing use of video recorders, the term time-lapse video microscopy was gradually adopted. Today, the term video is increasingly dropped, reflecting that a digital still camera is used to record the individual image frames, instead of a video recorder.