USE OF MICROPARTICLE ADDITIVES TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ENABLE ARTIFACT-FREE IMAGE REGISTRATION, AUTO-FOCUSING, AND CHROMATIC ABERRATION CORRECTION IN MICROSCOPY
High-contrast, high-density cell-sized microparticles (120) are introduced into a cell (llO)-containing solution prior to the solution being spread onto a planar substrate (100) for imaging. The microparticles facilitate both the process of imager autofocusing and the subsequent registration of multiple images taken of regions of the substrate. The microparticles can further facilitate the correction of chromatic aberration.