MRI: Development of an Ultra-miniature Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope

0079789Costerton这是一个发展建议，建立一个微型共聚焦激光扫描显微镜在其自然环境中的细菌生物膜的原位成像。共聚焦显微镜是主要的成像模式，用于研究细菌粘附到表面上，并将其组织成称为生物膜的社区。 我们对这些微生物群落的理解仅限于那些可以被诱导在光学兼容环境中生长的物种，例如与传统显微镜工具兼容的流动池。 由于我们没有与这些环境兼容的成像工具，因此阻碍了对在其原生环境（例如管道和容器内或地下）中的膜的研究的扩展。申请人提出利用硅微加工和微透镜技术的最新进展来制造直径小于2mm且长度仅为10mm的共焦显微镜。 被称为共焦显微探针，该仪器可以通过管道镜或内窥镜的工作通道引入，以允许原位研究生物膜的形成和生长。 共聚焦微探针将支持明场成像以及亚微米分辨率的荧光成像。 它将连接到现有的商业共聚焦光学显微镜，微探针的操作将通过我们的商业仪器的用户界面进行控制。这种新的微型仪器将广泛用于生物膜工程中心，在那里它的影响将在几个程序中感受到。 其中一个项目是研究多孔介质（如土壤）中生物膜的形成，生物膜研究的目标是“生物载体”，用于隔离污染物或改善从注入威尔斯井中二次采油。 该中心的另一个研究方向将从这一发展中受益，即使用通过管道镜工作通道提供的超小型显微镜对核储存设施中的污垢和微生物影响的腐蚀进行微观研究。 研究自然环境中的混合物种生物膜（如龈下菌斑）是非常重要的，共聚焦微探针将为这些研究提供巨大的优势。该仪器将由生物膜工程中心，电气和计算机工程系和Microvision，Inc.微机械激光束扫描设备的全球领导者。 Microvision很好地利用了这一开发计划，并将成为一个愿意将这项技术从大学实验室环境过渡到商业竞技场的合作伙伴。

0079789CostertonThis is a development proposal to build a miniature confocal laser scanning microscope for in situ imaging of bacterial biofilms in their natural environments.Confocal microscopy is the dominant imaging modality for the study of bacterial adhesion onto surfaces, and their organization into communities called biofilms. Our understanding of these microbial communities is limited to those species that can be coaxed to grow in optically compliant environments such as flow cells, which are compatible with conventional microscopy tools. Extension of studies to films in their native environment, such as inside pipes and vessels or underground, are hindered because we do not have imaging tools that are compatible with those environments.The applicant proposes to exploit recent advances in Silicon micromachining and microlens technologies to produce a confocal microscope smaller than 2 mm in diameter and only 10 mm long. Called the confocal microprobe, the instrument may be introduced through the working channel of a borescope or endoscope to permit in situ studies of biofilm formation and growth. The confocal microprobe will support brightfield imaging as well as fluorescent imaging with submicrometer resolution. It will interface to an existing commercial confocal optical microscope, and operation of the microprobe will be controlled via the user interface of our commercial instrument.This new miniature instrument will be used extensively in the Center for Biofilm Engineering, where its impact will be felt on several programs. One of those programs is the study of biofilm formation in porous media such as soil, where biofilm research is targeting 'biobarriers" for isolation of pollutants or to improve secondary recovery of oil from injection wells. Another research direction in the Center that will benefit from this development is the microscopic study of fouling and microbially influenced corrosion in nuclear storage facilities, using an ultraminiature microscope delivered through the working channel of a borescope. The study of mixed species biofilms (such as subgingival plaque) in their natural environment is extremely important, and the confocal microprobe will offer tremendous advantage for those studies.This instrument will be used collaboratively between the Center for Biofilm Engineering, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Microvision, Inc., the world leader in micromechanical laser beam scanning devices. Microvision is well positioned to capitalize on this development program and would be a willing partner to transition this technology from the university lab environment into the commercial arena.