Microscope Usage Tracker

A desktop app for microscopy core facilities to log instrument usage, track session time, and calculate costs — all stored locally with no internet required.

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Features

• Log Microscope Usage with a live timer and automatic cost calculation
• Log Sample Preparation with per-sample pricing
• Admin panel (PIN-protected) to add, edit, or remove instruments and rates
• History tab to browse all past sessions
• Export to CSV for billing or reporting
• All data stored locally in a SQLite database

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Installation

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• conda (recommended) or pip

Option 1 — conda (recommended)

git clone https://github.com/VismayaShhree/Microscopy-core-manager.git
cd Microscopy-core-manager
conda create -n microscope_use python=3.8
conda activate microscope_use
pip install -r requirements.txt
python Microscope_use.py

Option 2 — pip only

git clone https://github.com/VismayaShhree/Microscopy-core-manager.git
cd Microscopy-core-manager
pip install -r requirements.txt
python Microscope_use.py

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First-Time Setup (Facility Admin)

1. Run the app once — it creates config.json and microscope_usage.db automatically.
2. Go to the Admin tab and enter the default PIN: 1234
3. Change the PIN immediately using the "Change Admin PIN" section.
4. Add or edit your facility's instruments and rates.

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Configuring Instruments

Instruments can be managed two ways:

Via the Admin tab (recommended):
Admin tab → Unlock → Add / Edit / Remove instruments

Via config.json directly:
Edit the file in any text editor. Each instrument looks like:

"SEM": {
  "full_name": "Scanning Electron Microscope",
  "hourly_rate": 35,
  "enabled": true
}

Set "enabled": false to hide an instrument without deleting its history.

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Building a Standalone App (optional)

To package into a .app (Mac) or .exe (Windows):

pip install pyinstaller
pyinstaller --windowed Microscope_use.py

The built app appears in the dist/ folder. Keep config.json in the same folder as the .app.

First launch on Mac: Right-click → Open to bypass Gatekeeper (unsigned app warning).

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Data & Privacy

• All data is stored locally in microscope_usage.db (SQLite)
• No data is sent over the internet
• Export to CSV at any time from the History tab

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File Structure

Microscope_use/
├── Microscope_use.py       # Main application
├── config.json             # Instrument & rate configuration
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
└── microscope_usage.db     # Local database (auto-created on first run)

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License

MIT — free to use and modify for your facility.