VisiTech International' Super Resolution Imaging in Multi-beam Confocal Scanning Systems

成像显微镜的一个持续挑战是可实现的光学分辨率的限制。改进的光学分辨率可以分辨出更小的特征，这反过来又允许研究人员更好地了解细胞分裂、线粒体运动和胶体动力学等过程。提高光学分辨率的技术被称为超分辨率。现有的能够提供这种超分辨率的系统受到可实现的低的临时分辨率和高昂的成本的限制。这些系统较差的时间分辨率限制了它们只能在超分辨率下拍摄样本，但无法在超分辨率下研究其动力学。这在上面提到的应用中受到了极大的限制。此外，这些现有的超分辨率技术非常昂贵(GB 1M)，超出了世界上许多科学家的预算。该项目的目的是开发一种新的技术，在不影响时间分辨率的情况下，以现有系统价格的四分之一来提高共焦成像系统的空间分辨率。我们开发了一种将我们的多光束共焦成像系统与超分辨率相结合的概念，提供了世界上第一个以高时间分辨率提供超分辨率的多光束超分辨率系统，以允许在超分辨率下进行动力学研究。该项目的另一个目标是将我们的设计转化为工作原型，以确保我们对制造的每个阶段都有清晰的记录，这样我们就可以将原型开发所获得的知识转化为我们可以以我们的目标价格制造的产品，进而在世界各地市场上制造。我们购买的建造我们的共焦成像系统的材料超过85%来自当地，因此，我们的新技术带来的任何营业额增长都将对当地经济产生直接影响。

An ongoing challenge of imaging microscopy is the limitations of achievable opticalresolution. Improved optical resolution allows smaller features to be resolved which in turnallows researchers to better understand such processes as cell division, movement ofmitochondria and colloidal dynamics. The techniques to improve optical resolution beyondthe current perceived limitations are called super resolution.Existing systems which can offer this super resolution are limited by the poor achievabletemporal resolution and high cost. The poor temporal resolution of these systems limits themto taking a “snap shot” of a sample in super resolution but the dynamics cannot be studied insuper resolution. This is hugely limited in applications such as those mentioned above. Alsothese existing super resolution techniques are very expensive (£1M) putting them beyond thebudget of many scientists worldwide.The aim of this project is to develop a new technique for improving the spatial resolution ofconfocal imaging systems without impacting on the temporal resolution at a price which istargeted at being one quarter of the price of existing systems. We have developed a conceptthat combines our multi beam confocal imaging system with super resolution providing theworld’s first multi beam super resolution system offering super resolution at a high enoughtemporal resolution to allow the study of dynamics in super resolution.A further objective of the project is to transfer our design into a working prototype ensuringthat we develop clear records of each stage of manufacture so we can transfer the knowledgegained through prototype development into a product that we can manufacture at our targetprice and in turn market worldwide.Over 85% of the materials we procure to build our confocal imaging systems are taken fromlocal, UK companies so any increase in turn over resulting from our new technology will havea direct impact on the local economy.