Application of confocal microscopy for surface and volume imaging of solid state nuclear track detectors

Inhalation of radon gas is considered a risk factor in the development of lung cancer. Solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) are often used for monitoring radon levels. We have previously shown that 3D imaging can help distinguish real tracks from artefact. In this study, we investigated particle tracks in nine SSNTDs using surface and volume visualisation from confocal microscope imaging. An Olympus LEXT OLS 4000 confocal microscope equipped with the Olympus LEXT Remote Development Kit was used to acquire z-stack images and surface data from the SSNTDs. Surface and volume visualisation analysis methods were developed and applied to examine the data. The mean (standard deviation) depth of 45 tracks from the nine detectors was 9.5 (4.6) μm. The mean difference in track depth using the two analysis techniques was 0.08 μm, thus showing good agreement. Furthermore, volume visualisation should enable assessment of the structure of tracks deep in the detector.