The Swept Field Confocal Microscope

扫场共焦显微镜

• 批准号: 8136136
• 负责人: Michael J Szulczewski
• 金额: $ 47.7万
• 依托单位: PRAIRIE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-06-11 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8136136
• 关键词: Action Potentials; Award; Behavior; Benchmarking; Biological Products; Cells; Cellular biology; Computer software; Data Analyses; Data Collection; Development; Devices; Electronics; Event; Fluorescence; Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; Funding; Goals; Image; Laser Microscopy; Laser Scanning Microscopy; Life; Marketing; Measurement; Methods; Microscope; Neurons; Neurosciences; Optics; Pathway interactions; Phase; Physiological; Process; Property; Reading; Resolution; Sales; Scanning; Scientist; Signal Pathway; Signal Transduction; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Speed; System; Techniques; Technology; Testing; Time; Toxic effect; base; cellular imaging; charge coupled device camera; computerized data processing; data acquisition; design; improved; instrument; nervous system disorder; open source; public health relevance; spatiotemporal

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A primary goal in neuroscience is to understand at a mechanistic level the functioning of neuronal networks with specific behaviors. This involves in general, the anatomical connectivity among the various types of neurons within the local network, the physiological properties of these cells, and the spatiotemporal firing signals of the neurons within the circuit. The challenge is not only to discover the connectivity among neurons but also to effectively record the signal activity within the neuronal network during a behavior in such a way as to provide functional information. Since 2001 Prairie Technologies, Inc. has been designing, building, refining and selling a new type of confocal scanning system, the Swept Field Confocal microscope (SFC). SBIR Phase I and II awards have provided the funding necessary for Prairie to develop an entry level product for the biological marketplace. Due to successful completion of all of our Phase I and Phase II goals, we have been able to sell over 60 units totaling to sales of $6,000,000.00 for the company. Recently we have been able to develop a worldwide sales channel for the SFC with Nikon Instruments, Inc. Because of high speed and low toxicity, the SFC is now gaining in sales popularity in the neuro and cell biology fields. In order to provide more functional information, we propose to further improve the speed of the SFC and simplify its ease of use for the scientists and to increase the amount of applications that can be performed with the instrument such as Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). In particular, we would like to add quantitative techniques such as Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) for the study of dynamic processes and FRET analysis. By completing the specific aims outlined in this proposal, the SFC can not only perform as a confocal microscope, but have capability to provide dynamic information about the local neuron network with high resolution. In addition, with completion of this project Prairie can achieve increased product sales of the SFC into the $200 million annual world-wide laser scanning microscopy market. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: A primary goal in neuroscience is to understand at a mechanistic level the functioning of neuronal networks with specific behaviors, which can be used to characterize neurological disorders. Such studies require the ability to identify the signaling networks and noninvasively study the dynamics within living cells. The improved Swept Field Confocal microscope system will provide such capabilities to record the spatiotemporal information in real time of normal and diseased processes and to study the cellular dynamics with additional information about the microenvironment and signaling pathways detected with Fluorescent Lifetime Imaging.

描述（由申请人提供）：神经科学的主要目标是在机械层面上理解具有特定行为的神经元网络的功能。一般来说，这涉及局部网络内各种类型神经元之间的解剖连接性、这些细胞的生理特性以及回路内神经元的时空放电信号。挑战不仅在于发现神经元之间的连接性，还在于有效记录行为过程中神经元网络内的信号活动，以提供功能信息。自 2001 年以来，Prairie Technologies, Inc. 一直在设计、制造、改进和销售新型共焦扫描系统，即扫场共焦显微镜 (SFC)。 SBIR 一期和二期奖项为 Prairie 为生物市场开发入门级产品提供了必要的资金。由于成功完成了第一阶段和第二阶段的所有目标，我们已经为公司销售了 60 多个单位，总销售额为 6,000,000.00 美元。最近，我们与 Nikon Instruments, Inc. 合作开发了 SFC 的全球销售渠道。由于速度快、毒性低，SFC 现在在神经和细胞生物学领域越来越受欢迎。为了提供更多的功能信息，我们建议进一步提高 SFC 的速度并简化其对科学家的易用性，并增加该仪器可以执行的应用程序数量，例如荧光共振能量转移 (FRET)。特别是，我们希望添加荧光寿命成像 (FLIM) 等定量技术来研究动态过程和 FRET 分析。通过完成该提案中概述的具体目标，SFC 不仅可以充当共焦显微镜，而且能够以高分辨率提供有关局部神经元网络的动态信息。此外，随着该项目的完成，Prairie 可以增加 SFC 的产品销售额，进入每年 2 亿美元的全球激光扫描显微镜市场。 公共健康相关性：神经科学的一个主要目标是在机制层面上了解具有特定行为的神经元网络的功能，这可用于表征神经系统疾病。此类研究需要能够识别信号网络并无创地研究活细胞内的动态。改进的扫描场共焦显微镜系统将提供这样的功能，可以实时记录正常和患病过程的时空信息，并利用荧光寿命成像检测到的微环境和信号通路的附加信息来研究细胞动力学。