Development of a new apparatus to observe microcirculation chronically and continuously without restriction of behavior

研制了一种无需使用显微镜即可观察微循环的新型探头，该探头体积小，可长期植入体内，创伤最小。探测的原理是相当新的。一个薄薄的活组织被直接放在高度集成的电荷耦合器件(CCD)上，并用非常弱的光源(如发光二极管)通过组织照明。组织中的血管网像接触式照片一样投射到ccd上，发送到电视屏幕上，可以分析它们的运动和功能。本研究使用的是250K像素的1/2英寸CCD。取下了CCD上的盖子玻璃。将厚度为3 mm的光纤板(FOP)附着在CCD表面，使FOP表面与CCD陶瓷壳保持在同一水平线上。包括FOP在内的电荷耦合器件的电绝缘是用硅橡胶模制而成的，系统在体外测试的分辨率达到了几十微米。该探头被植入一只兔子体内18小时，直到电绝缘被打破。可以观察到直径几十微米的小动脉和小静脉的形态及其在皮下组织中的运动。该系统用环氧树脂模压，以提高电气绝缘性能。使用锥形FOP，无需透镜系统，可将图形放大3倍，使分辨率提高，能够观察红细胞的流动模式。下一步考虑使用400K像素的1/3英寸CCD，这将大大提高分辨率。

A new probe to observe microcirculation without use of microscope was developed, which has small size and can be implanted chronically into a body with minimum invasive. The principle of the probe is quite new. A thin living tissue is put directly on a highly integrated charge coupled device (CCD) and lighted up through the tissue with a very weak light source such as a light-emitting diode. The vascular nets in the tissue are projected on the CCD like a contact photogaph, which is sent to a television screen and can be analyzed their motion and function. A 1/2 inch CCD having 250Kpixels was used in this study. The cover glass on the CCD was removed. A fiber optic plate (FOP) with 3mm thick was attached to the CCD surface so as to keep the surface of the FOP and the ceramic case of the CCD at the same level. The CCD including FOP was molded with silicone rubber for the electric insulation.The resolution of the system tested in vitrorevealed several ten micrometers. The probe was implanted into a rabbit for 18 hrs until the electric insulation was broken. The configuration of arterioles and venules having several ten micrometers in diameter and their motions in a subcutaneous tissue could be observed.The following improvement has been done in the term of the project. The system was molded with epoxy resin to improve the electrical insulation. The tapered FOP that could magnify the figure to 3 times without lens system, was used, which made increase the resolution to be able to observe the flow pattern of erythrocyte. To use the 1/3 inch CCD having 400Kpixels was under consideration as the next step, which would greatly improve the resolution.