Microscope Based Brain Positioning System for Anatomical Navigation

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neuromorphologic analyses at the light microscopic level have significantly contributed to our understanding of the function and pathology of the brain. We propose to develop an integrated commercial product for providing automatic, immediate feedback about the neuroanatomic borders and name of a brain region that is currently being inspected under a light microscope or in a virtual slide. Currently, identificationof a particular region of interest is accomplished by making manual comparisons between the histologic brain section under the microscope and a digital or print brain atlas which can be tedious and cumbersome. The proposed system will integrate existing 3D brain atlases and an investigator's own microscope system to provide neuroanatomic location information about the brain section under study. It will also provide the option to generate individual, customized 3D brain atlases created on the basis of histologic brain sections from the investigator's own lab. We believe that introduction of the robust commercial system proposed here will greatly enable studies in basic neuroscience, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology research and development fields by leading to the potential to analyze many more brain regions than is currently initiated. Thus, this innovative system will provide an improved basis for developing novel treatment strategies for complex brain diseases. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Microscopic analyses of histologic brain sections yield important information about the organization and composition of the nervous system; however these analyses require extensive knowledge of neuroanatomic boundaries and time-intensive consultation with printed or digital atlases. This project commercializes an innovative system for providing neuroanatomic location information about the region currently in view on the basis of both existing and user-generated customized 3D brain atlases. Providing immediate feedback about the name and location of the brain region currently under study at the microscope will provide an improved basis for developing novel treatment strategies for complex brain diseases.