STTR Phase I: A novel dual paraboloid mirror device for enhanced light collection in confocal and fluorescence microscopy

STTR 第一阶段：一种新型双抛物面镜装置，用于增强共焦和荧光显微镜中的光收集

• 批准号: 2014972
• 负责人: Joel Smith
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: MIZAR IMAGING LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2014972&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; novel; dual; paraboloid

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to improve research in the life sciences. This research often uses confocal and fluorescence imaging technologies to capture high-resolution, high-contrast images of biological samples. However, these methods traditionally require high levels of illuminating light, resulting in damage to tissues, disruption of normal processes like cell division, and competing with the light being measured in the experiment. The proposed solution will improve the collection of light in these microscopes. This will allow researchers to minimize damage to samples, thus removing current experimental constraints and enabling the development of new and far-ranging applications on an already powerful research platform. The proposed technology will be useful for disease and pharmaceutical research.The proposed project will involve the development of a simple, add-on, mirrored sample chamber unit capable of enhancing confocal microscopy capabilities by substantially increasing microscope fluorescence collection efficiency limits. This will require overcoming design challenges because the use of mirrors to collect and refocus emitted light has rarely been attempted in confocal microscopy. The proposed R&D work includes: 1) sample chamber and mirror design and prototyping, 2) design of mounting hardware and integration with an existing confocal system, and 3) exploration of compatible modalities, including Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence microscopy and Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy. Completion of the proposed objectives will lead to the development of a device that increases the light collection efficiency beyond the current 40% limit, is compatible with any detection objective, and does not require a separate optical path to the detector.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响将是改善生命科学的研究。这项研究经常使用共焦和荧光成像技术来捕捉生物样本的高分辨率、高对比度图像。然而，这些方法传统上需要高水平的照明光，导致组织损伤，扰乱细胞分裂等正常过程，并与实验中测量的光竞争。建议的解决方案将改善这些显微镜中的光收集能力。这将使研究人员能够最大限度地减少对样本的损害，从而消除目前的实验限制，并使在已经强大的研究平台上开发新的和广泛的应用程序成为可能。这项拟议的技术将对疾病和药物研究有用。拟议的项目将涉及开发一种简单的附加镜面样品室单元，该单元能够通过大幅提高显微镜荧光收集效率来增强共焦显微镜能力。这将需要克服设计挑战，因为在共焦显微镜中很少尝试使用反射镜来收集和重新聚焦发射的光。拟议的研发工作包括：1)样品室和反射镜的设计和原型制作，2)安装硬件的设计和与现有共焦系统的集成，以及3)兼容模式的探索，包括全内反射荧光显微镜和随机光学重建显微镜。完成提议的目标将导致开发一种设备，将光收集效率提高到当前40%的限制以上，与任何探测物镜兼容，并且不需要单独的光路到达探测器。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。