WG 2 – Detection system performance

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WG 2 – Objectives

WG2 focuses on the detection system, comprising the detection path and its detector(s), and how it measures the signal from the sample.

Members of WG2 aim to standardize the characterization of the detection system performance and create standard procedures for monitoring it over time, thereby revealing performance issues that could affect data reproducibility. Therefore, WG2 will define universal, externally measurable parameters applicable to any type of detector (e.g., photons, linearity, noise), together with measurement tools and protocols for measuring these parameters from common detector types. These universal parameters will be specified according to each distinct type of detector’s internal parameters, which have already been defined by the community. They will enable the evaluation and comparison of different detection systems, thus pinpointing the most suitable technology for given applications.

WG 2 – Co-Chairs

WG 2 - Latest News

 

Last meeting: 12th May 2025, 5:00 pm

  1. Subgroup: Area detector
    • Aims: Establish protocols for characterization of detection systems with an area detector.
    • Co-leads: Britta Schroth, David McFadden
    • Contact information: schroth@mpi-cbg.de
    • On-going tasks: 
      • Move measurement protocol to protocols.io
      • Test measurement protocol with marker pen as sample
      • Evaluate measurement and analysis parameters written down in Airtable
    • Cloud storage location (can be accessed as a member) → here
  2. Subgroup: Point detector
    • Aims: Establish protocols for characterization of detection systems with a point detector.
    • Co-leads: Gert-Jan Bakker, Andre Zeug
    • Contact information: gert-jan.bakker@radboudumc.nl
    • On-going tasks: 
      • Insert measurement protocol to protocols.io
      • Generate comments and hints for protocol
      • Evaluate measurement and analysis parameters written down in Airtable
    • Cloud storage location (can be accessed as a member) → here
  3. Subgroup: Test sample
    • Aims: investigate and define standardized samples for characterization of detection systems.
    • Co-leads: Valeria Berno, David McFadden
    • Contact information: berno.valeria@hsr.it
    • On-going tasks: 
      • Test and characterize standardized light sources for characterization of microscope’s detection systems.
    • Cloud storage location (can be accessed as a member) → here
  4.  

12th meeting, 11th of October 2021

Meeting summary

One of the main topics of our meeting was to prepare for the joint meeting with WG7 on establishing standardized vocabulary for describing cameras. The idea for this meeting is to bring together camera manufacturers, microscope companies, and users to agree upon the vocabulary. In addition, we have to test and finalize both, our measurement and the analysis protocols, by generating more data for determination of the photo-conversion factor (PCF) and background. For that we agreed to use a de-focused Chroma slide edge as main test sample for now. Last, we discussed how to get more members actively involved and keep the active ones motivated.

Meeting documentation

11th meeting, 13th of September 2021

Meeting summary

This was the first meeting after the summer break. Therefore we mainly did a status update of the current standing of WG2 and our 4 subgroups (area detector, point detector, analysis, test samples). Mainly, first data sets were collected using the first versions of our measurement protocols. Also, we have a first version of a stand-alone analysis program for retrieving of the photon-conversion factor and dark noise contribution. We discussed the documentation and organization of the data and meta data collected, how to improve it, and how to interact with the MetaDataApp.

Meeting documentation

10th meeting, 12th of July 2021

Meeting documentation

9th meeting, 14th of June 2021

Meeting documentation

8th meeting, 10th of May 2021

Meeting documentation

7th meeting, 12th of April 2021

Meeting documentation

6th meeting, 8th of March 2021

Meeting documentation

5th meeting, 8th of Feburary 2021

Meeting documentation

4th meeting, 14th of December 2020

Meeting documentation

3rd meeting, 9th of November 2020

Meeting documentation

Memberlist WG 2