Exploring the Performance of LEDs Using Optical Feedback

Ongoing advancements in LED technology have resulted in the increased use of LED devices for both illumination and fluorescence excitation in microscopy as well as for macroscopical applications. These devices run much cooler and are more stable than incandescent and arc lamp sources. Although their “point intensity” (the radiant intensity per unit area of the source), as we refer to it in Cairn, may still not be as good as that for some arc lamps, it is still much higher than for incandescent sources. This is critical for efficient illumination in microscopy.