1 Introduction

Recent advances in the field of microscopy have been driven not only by technologic innovations in engineering, optics, computer science, and precision manufacturing, but also by fundamental discoveries in chemical and biologic sciences. The last two decades have seen various changes to the microscope, resulting in the current modern microscope, which is a powerful tool in biologic research and development. Although most of the changes pertain to advances in optics, today's microscopes are also fitted with ergonomic features, and they include automation of several manual functions. Microscopes today offer automated focusing, selection of objectives and filters, light control, and a wide range of other features. Moreover, the increasing complexity of biologic experiments performed with optical microscopy, and the complexity of data that can be obtained, have resulted in even more sophisticated optical microscopy systems [1-5]. Although a completely automated microscope is not required in most applications, there are a growing number of applications, such as screening a large number of specimens with different protocols, deconvolution, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) imaging, multispectral imaging and ion ratio imaging that require automated microscopes [6]. Furthermore, computer technology is changing the ways we access equipment, view samples, record, manage, and disseminate images. Digital imaging has created the need for archiving, managing, manipulating, and quantifying images. The coupling of computers to microscope systems has resulted in the development of optical imaging systems that can perform complicated experiments and provide more data, convenient...