Integrated Twin Epi-Flourescence System

描述(申请人提供)：学习和记忆的细胞研究， 和突触传递明显受阻于标准光学 几十年前开发的配置。在以下情况下尤其如此 考虑到当今，荧光显微镜技术所在的单一 光学输入路径提供宽视场照明。例如， 由于聚焦紫外光，离子成像和紫外光分解的集成受到影响 激发必须被强迫进入光路，该光路仅设计用于 EPI-荧光照明。该项目的目标是测试 开发双照明光路的可行性 允许实验所需的多功能性的荧光显微镜 今天和明天。我们将：1)设计和建造一条双照明通道 这将与当今的直立式显微镜相结合。2)测试光驱 用于场、全场平坦度的每种照明路径的特性 照明和光传输特性。3)确定以下各项的可靠性 用于定位孔的电机控制和紫外线传输光纤 其中一条照明路径中的耦合机制。4)测试和评估 “穿透光学”用于激光位置监测的可行性 用于光解的照明光束。5)测试双照明系统 光解实验和监测快速钙瞬变的研究。 建议的商业应用： 这种双激发系统在科学上有许多潜在的应用：同时成像结合焦点消融或光解，通过在激发路径的一臂上增加孔，将有可能使用一条路径进行受限的场激发，以测量神经元突起中钙的快速变化。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cellular studies of learning and memory, and synaptic transmission are significantly hampered by standard optical configurations that were developed decades ago. This is especially true when considering present day, fluorescence microscope technology where a single optical input pathway provides wide-field illumination. For example, the integration of ion imaging with UV photolysis is compromised since focal UV excitation must be forced into the optical pathway that was designed only for epi-fluorescence illumination. The goal of this project is to test the feasibility of developing a twin-illumination pathway for fluorescencemicroscopes to allow the versatility necessary for the experiments of today and tomorrow. We will: 1) Design and build a twin-illumination pathway that will integrate with present day upright microscopes. 2) Test the optical properties of each illumination pathway for flatness of field, full-field illumination and light transmission properties. 3) Determine the reliability of motor control for positioning apertures and a UV transmitting optical fiber coupling mechanism in one of the illumination pathways. 4) Test and evaluate the feasibility of using "pass through optics to monitor the location of laser illumination beams for photolysis. 5) Test the twin-illumination system in photolysis experiments and in studies to monitor fast calcium transients. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This twin-IIumination system has many potential applications in science: simultaneous imaging together with focal ablation or photolysis, and by including apertures in one arm of the excitation pathway, it will be possible to use one pathway for restricted field excitation for measurement of fast changes in calcium in neuronal processes.