Table 6.

Comparison of three options for environmental control on the microscope stage.

Chamber/dish	Advantages	Disadvantages
Stage-top incubator	Permits stable control of temperature, humidity and optionally CO2. Glass-bottomed dishes can be transferred directly from the incubator to the stage top and imaged immediately. Adapters can allow the chamber to accommodate a variety of dish sizes as well as glass-bottomed multi-well plates.	The most expensive option. An objective heater is preferable for use with oil-immersion objectives.
Imaging and perfusion chamber	Permits stable control of temperature with no evaporation loss. Perfusion is possible.	Less expensive than the stage-top incubator option. Depending on the chamber design, there is a possibility of leaks if assembled incorrectly. Cells must be cultured on free coverslips of a specified dimension and then assembled into the chamber prior to observation. An objective heater is preferable for use with oil-immersion objectives.
Air-stream incubator	Simplest and least expensive option. Can heat both the dish and objective. Can be used with any dish size.	Requires an enclosure to provide good temperature or focus stability. Heats the room (or microscope, if an enclosure is used).