MRI: Development of Ultralight Biophotonic Neuro-cellular Imaging Platform for Elucidating Brain Activity in Freely-behaving Animals

题目：MRI：用于阐明自由行为动物大脑活动的超轻生物光子神经细胞成像平台的开发意义该成像平台的开发将对人类生活产生积极影响，特别是在医疗保健，安全和人类援助领域，由于其便携性，微型探头设计和多种模式操作的能力。神经科学研究将影响教育、康复和心理健康。该项目涉及多个职业阶段的人员，提供了一个丰富的多学科环境，将科学与工程相结合。详细的系统设计和研究成果将被广泛传播，加快神经科学发现的步伐。接触这个平台将使科学家能够将他们的研究扩展到新的生理和病理背景。此外，所提出的成像平台具有重要的临床转化潜力，因为它可以实现体内、原位和实时的细胞特征的微创可视化，而无需组织切除，这可以很容易地用于其他器官系统的诊断分析。技术描述：该主要研究仪器（MRI）项目旨在开发一种超紧凑，便携式和可穿戴的成像平台，该平台将能够在自由行为的动物中以亚细胞分辨率成像大脑活动。该平台的核心是一种新型光纤扫描双光子荧光内窥镜，目前还没有市售。这种超显微镜能够可视化细胞活动的成像质量接近大型台式显微镜系统。此外，一个小的足迹，可调谐飞秒Ti：蓝宝石激光器也将被开发和集成，为双光子激发提供一个便携式平台。为了方便识别特定的大脑区域进行高分辨率成像，将开发一种具有大视场（FOV）的2mm光纤共聚焦探针并集成到该平台中；这种共聚焦探针将通过相同的头戴式底座与双光子超显微镜交换。共聚焦探针还可以实现细胞动力学的高速成像，补充了双光子内窥镜。这项开发工作的最终结果将是一个独特的、高度适应性的共享使用成像平台，它可以被运送到JHU的特定设施/实验室，以解决特定的研究问题。该成像平台将与JHU的四个研究实验室密切合作开发，这些实验室从事完整大脑的细胞和亚细胞动力学研究，其研究受到现有基于显微镜的成像平台的限制。

PI: Li, XingdeProposal: 1430040Title: MRI: Development of Ultralight Biophotonic Neuro-cellular Imaging Platform for Elucidating Brain Activity in Freely-behaving AnimalsSignificanceDevelopment of this imaging platform will positively impact human lives, particularly in the areas of health care, safety, and human assistance, due to its portability, miniature probe design, and ability to operate in multiple modalities. The neuroscience researchwill impact education, rehabilitation, and mental-health. The project involves people at many career stages, offering a rich multidisciplinary environment that integrates science and engineering. Detailed system designs and research results will be widely disseminated, accelerating the pace of neuroscience discovery. Exposure to this platform will allow scientists to extend their research into new physiological and pathological contexts. Moreover, the proposed imaging platform has significant clinical translation potential, as it enables minimally invasive visualization of cellular characteristics in vivo, in situ and in real time, without the need for tissue removal, which can be readily adapted for diagnostic analysis of other organ systems.Technical Description:This Major Research Instrument (MRI) project aims to develop an ultracompact, portable and head-mountable imaging platform, which will enable imaging of brain activity with subcellular resolution in freely behaving animals. The core of the platform is a novel fiber-optic, scanning two-photon fluorescence endomicroscope which is not commercially available. This ultra-microscope is capable of visualizing cellular activity with an imaging quality approaching that of large bench-top microscopy systems. In addition, a small footprint, tunable femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser will also be developed and integrated to provide a portable platform for two-photon excitation. To facilitate identification of specific brain regions for high resolution imaging, a 2-mm fiber-optic confocal probe with a large field of view (FOV) will be developed and integrated into the platform; this confocal probe will be exchangeable with the two-photon ultra-microscope through the same head-mount base. The confocal probe also enables high-speed imaging of cellular dynamics, complementing the two-photon endomicroscope. The end result of this development effort will be a unique, highly adaptable imaging platform for shared-use, which can be transported to specific facilities/labs across JHU to address specific research questions. The imaging platform will be developed in close collaboration with four research labs at JHU that are engaged in studies of cellular and subcellular dynamics in the intact brain and whose studies have been limited by existing microscope-based imaging platforms.