Development of a new apparatus to observe microcirculation chronically and continuously without restriction of behavior

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A new probe to observe microcirculation without use of microscope was developed, which has small size and can be implanted chronically into a body with minimum invasive. The principle of the probe is quite new. A thin living tissue is put directly on a highly integrated charge coupled device (CCD) and lighted up through the tissue with a very weak light source such as a light-emitting diode. The vascular nets in the tissue are projected on the CCD like a contact photogaph, which is sent to a television screen and can be analyzed their motion and function. A 1/2 inch CCD having 250Kpixels was used in this study. The cover glass on the CCD was removed. A fiber optic plate (FOP) with 3mm thick was attached to the CCD surface so as to keep the surface of the FOP and the ceramic case of the CCD at the same level. The CCD including FOP was molded with silicone rubber for the electric insulation.The resolution of the system tested in vitrorevealed several ten micrometers. The probe was implanted into a rabbit for 18 hrs until the electric insulation was broken. The configuration of arterioles and venules having several ten micrometers in diameter and their motions in a subcutaneous tissue could be observed.The following improvement has been done in the term of the project. The system was molded with epoxy resin to improve the electrical insulation. The tapered FOP that could magnify the figure to 3 times without lens system, was used, which made increase the resolution to be able to observe the flow pattern of erythrocyte. To use the 1/3 inch CCD having 400Kpixels was under consideration as the next step, which would greatly improve the resolution.