Diversity Supplement for Arlo Marquez

项目摘要 这个项目的目标是展示一个台式系统，可以与 颈部迷走神经的单个轴突通过植入的全光学仪器。 寻址单个轴突需要在几微米的深度处的单微米空间分辨率。 毫米报告和调制是通过多光子吸收的入射 红外光和可见光谱中的荧光检测。光学系统必须 精确地聚焦在单个轴突上， 在动物呼吸和最终的实验中，移动时的耐受性。运动 动物不得造成损害或引发排斥，这反过来又要求 植入物的机械性能与周围的软组织相匹配。 现有的生物成像技术无法满足这些要求。因此，本补充 将支持和推进家长补助金的目标，以创建一个新的软梯度类 在植入或动物运动应变下变形的折射光学器件。这些将是 由柔软的固体聚合物制成， 折射率梯度，其以与现有玻璃显微内窥镜相同的方式聚焦光 但是具有改进的性能，例如像差校正。所提出的生物成像 该技术将改善现有玻璃显微内窥镜的性能， 宽带宽、高分辨率神经调节，同时还匹配组织模量， 使其能够长期植入。 为了在弯曲过程中扩展这些透镜的性能，我们建议将 将应力松弛化学引入聚合物的固体基质中。共价适应的 网络响应于应变而塑性变形，例如由植入引起的应变， 运动我们已经表明，这些消除应力引起的双折射， 限制了聚合物光学器件的性能。我们假设这个方案，当应用于 这些软聚合物光学器件还将改善应变下的性能。 在此，我们请求为Arlo Marquez-Grap先生提供三年研究生培训的资金， 他目前在美国加州大学攻读材料科学与工程博士学位， 科罗拉多博尔德。Marquez-Grap先生在光学和材料方面有很强的背景， 对生物医学材料非常感兴趣。这项工作将为他提供广泛的培训， 光学成像、神经科学、生物材料和独立研究。全面 导师计划将提供专业发展和培训，以启动他的职业生涯， 独立研究员。

Project Summary The goal of this project is to demonstrate a bench-top system that can interface with individual axons in the cervical vagus nerve through an implanted, all-optical instrument. Addressing individual axons requires single micron spatial resolution at a depth of several mm. Reporting and modulation are achieved through multiphoton absorption of incident infrared light and detection of fluorescence in the visible spectrum. The optical system must be precisely focused on individual axons and maintain this alignment with one micron tolerance as the animal breaths and, in eventual experiments, moves. Movement of the animal must not cause damage or initiate rejection, which in turn requires that the mechanical properties of the implant match the surrounding soft tissue. No existing bioimaging technology can meet these requirements. Thus, this supplement will support and advance the aim of the parent grant to create a new class of soft gradient index optics that deform under strain of implantation or animal movement. These will be created from soft solid polymers that are optically patterned with a permanent refractive index gradient that focuses light in the same manner as existing glass micro-endoscopes but with improved performance such as aberration correction. The proposed bio-imaging technology will improve the performance of existing glass micro-endoscopes for deep, broad-bandwidth, high-resolution neuromodulation while also matching tissue modulus to enable chronic implantation. To extend the performance of these lenses during bending, we propose to incorporate stress relaxation chemistry into the solid matrix of the polymer. Covalent adaptable networks plastically deform in response to strain such as that caused by implantation or movement. We have shown these eliminate stress-induced birefringence that typically limits the performance of polymer optics. We hypothesize this scheme, when applied to these soft polymer optics, will also improve performance under strain. Here we request funds for three years of graduate training for Mr. Arlo Marquez-Grap, who is pursuing his doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Mr. Marquez-Grap has a strong background in optics and materials and is keenly interested in materials for biomedicine. This work will provide him broad training in optical imaging, neuroscience, biomaterials and independent research. A comprehensive mentoring plan will provide professional development and training to launch his career as an independent researcher.