Dual Imaging Kinetic Fluorescence Microscopy

利用视频显微镜从活细胞的荧光探针中提取定量信息是可视化细胞动力学问题的一种令人兴奋的新方法。探测阳离子和阴离子浓度、pH和膜电位的探针可以对这些过程进行时间可视化，特别是在两个不同波长产生图像的染料。一个潜在的更令人兴奋的应用是同一活细胞中多种染料的动力学。目前的研究仪器使用旋转的滤光轮来改变波长，并且数据收集速度相对较慢。此外，硬件和软件的高成本使这些定制机器的价格超出了大多数实验室的范围。莫里斯教授和他的团队正在开发一种新颖的荧光视频数字成像显微镜的设计，它可以同时捕获两个视频图像。它同时具有单激发/双发射功能，可同时观察同一活体细胞中的两个探针。它没有活动部件，可以以任何兼容的摄像头和存储设备的速度进行数据收集。数据采集系统采用AT-BUS PC机和标准的RS-170视频设备，降低了系统成本。因此，它以非常实惠的价格代表了最先进的技术。

The extraction of quantitative information from fluorescent probes in living cells using videomicroscopy is emerging as an exciting new approach to the problem of visualizing cell dynamics. Probes which sense cation and anion concentrations, pH and membrane potential allow temporal visualization of these processes, especially dyes which produce images at two different wavelengths. A potentially more exiting application is kinetics of multiple dyes in the same living cell. Present research instruments use rotating filter wheels to change wavelengths and are relatively slow in their data collection rates. Also the high costs for hardware and software prices these custom machines out of the range of most laboratories. Professor Morris and his group are developing a novel design of fluorescence video digital imaging microscope, which captures two video images simultaneously. It is capable of both single excitation/dual emission, for simultaneous observation of two probes in the same live cell. It has no moving parts allowing data collection at any rate for which compatible cameras and storage devices exist. The data collection system uses the AT- bussed PC computer and standard RS-170 video equipment which reduces the cost of the system. Thus it represents state-of-the- art technology at very affordable prices.