"IDBR: TYPE A" A fluorescence microscope optical insert that creates video-rate 3D imaging capabilities using an innovative "expanded point information content" design

非技术描述：位于博尔德的科罗拉多大学的科学家们将开发一种改进的生物显微镜，其目的是展示一种称为扩展点信息内容（EPIC）的光学设计新方法如何将现有的活细胞荧光显微镜转换为完全3D视频速率成像仪器，其成本和复杂性仅为商业共聚焦设计的一小部分。新的显微镜将向从事活细胞动力学研究的生物学家证明，它将有可能以比现有显微镜快一个数量级的速度记录高分辨率3D图像，并同时定位深度特征，精度达到70 nm或更高，而无需改变焦点。该项目立足于计算光学领域，其前提是，通过光学改变显微镜点扩散函数，可以将有关原始三维样本的更多信息编码到同时记录的图像对中，然后快速检索通过数字图像处理。如果本程序（称为点扩散函数工程）是以受控的方式完成的，来自每个3D对象点的扩展信息一旦被处理，将为生物学家提供以视频速率或更快速率发生的亚细胞动态事件的3D动画的能力。在更广泛的背景下，新的EPIC方法代表了一个潜在的变革性概念，可以彻底改变下一代光学成像仪器的设计方式，不仅在显微镜，而且还可以用于其它装置，例如内窥镜和望远镜。EPIC设计的实现仅需要对标准光学成像系统进行简单的修改，例如插入相位板，添加第二相机和安装软件包。在这个项目中，这些修改将在商业生物显微镜上实现。一旦完成，新的显微镜将由合作的生物学家在具有挑战性的活细胞研究中进行测试。它还将为年轻科学家和工程师的教学和培训提供基础，为举办多学科培训讲习班提供机会，生物学学生将学习光学显微镜和图像处理，工程学学生将学习活细胞动力学研究中的挑战。最终计划的活动将是与合作的商业伙伴合作，将新的EPIC显微镜附加系统推向市场，从而使数百名使用荧光显微镜作为主要实验室工具的生物学家能够轻松使用。

Non Technical Description:Scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder will develop a modified biological microscope whose purpose is to demonstrate how a novel approach to optical design, called expanded point information content (EPIC), can convert existing live-cell fluorescence microscopes into fully 3D video-rate imaging instruments at a fraction of the cost and complexity of commercial confocal designs. The new microscope will demonstrate to biologists engaged in studies of live cell dynamics that it will be possible to record high resolution 3D images at speeds an order of magnitude faster than existing microscopes and simultaneously locate features in depth to an accuracy of 70nm or better, without the need to change focus. The project is grounded in the field of computational optics and is based on the premise that, by optically altering the microscope point spread function, much more information about the original three-dimensional sample can be encoded into pairs of simultaneously recorded images and then rapidly retrieved by digital image processing. If this procedure (known as point spread function engineering) is done in a controlled manner, the expanded information from each 3D object point, once processed, will provide biologists with the capability to obtain 3D animations of subcellular dynamic events that occur at video rates or faster.Technical Description:In a broader context, the new EPIC approach represents a potentially transformative concept that could revolutionize the way next generation optical imaging instruments are designed, not only in microscopy, but also in other devices such as endoscopes and telescopes. Implementation of the EPIC design requires only simple modifications to a standard optical imaging system, such as inserting a phase plate, adding a second camera and installing a software package. In this project, these modifications will be implemented on a commercial biological microscope. Once completed, the new microscope will be tested by collaborating biologists in challenging studies of living cells. It will also provide the basis for teaching and training young scientists and engineers, providing opportunities for conducting multi-disciplinary training workshops where biology students learn about optical microscopy and image processing, and engineering students learn about challenges in live-cell dynamics investigations. A final planned activity will be to work with collaborating commercial partners to bring the new EPIC microscope add-on system to the marketplace, thereby making it readily accessible to the many hundreds of biologists who use fluorescence microscopes as a primary laboratory tool.