OBJECTIVES To demonstrate mucosal biofilms in human tissue by direct visualization of bacteria and glycocalyx using confocal laser scanning microscopy with double fluorescent staining on tonsils and to compare the findings with the results of scanning electron microscopy analysis. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Tertiary university-based referral center. PATIENTS Twenty-four tonsils wer...

The optical dissection ability of confocal microscopy makes it a powerful tool for biological materials. However, the cost and complexity of confocal scanning laser microscopy hinders its wide application in education. We describe the construction of a simplified confocal scanning laser microscope and demonstrate three-dimensional projection based on cost-efficient commercial hardware, together...