IR NEAR FIELD MICROSCOPY FOR SUB-CELLULAR APPLICATIONS

描述（由申请人提供）：急需分析 以及监测细胞和亚细胞生物学功能，特别是 来理解药理学和疾病过程。光学显微镜 先前已用于生物样品表征，但 λ/2的衍射极限分辨率。然而，扫描近场 光学显微镜可用于实现纳米级分辨率 lambda/30或更好。这项技术结合了原子力的特性 在非接触模式与光学显微镜显微镜，通过利用 光纤探针尖端，其扫描样品表面并同时 获取剪切力和光学信号，以产生形貌和光学 图像，分别。由石英纤维制成的光纤微尖 在可见光波长范围内用于该技术， 分辨率100 nm。然而，这些纤维不能用于红外线 因为它们在波长长于2微米时不传输。我们 建议发展红外传输光纤技术 能够从2-10微米进入“指纹”区域的微尖 米，其中分子种类可以很容易地通过它们的 特征振动吸收带 该方案的目标是： 发展扫描近场红外显微技术 最先进的低光损耗红外传输光纤，NRL具有 为各种应用而开发。NRL将制造红外传输 能够探测2-10 μ m红外波长区域的微尖， 以前没有。NRL将与范德比尔特的科学家合作 用近场显微镜实现微尖。 在红外线中展示至少100 nm的纳米级光学分辨率 使用红外光纤微尖的SNIM系统。 利用扫描近场红外显微镜（SNIM）在2-10 μ m 研究生物光谱成像 例如活细胞的结构，在水溶液中以<100 nm的分辨率， 环境 光学和地形分辨率以及光谱成像 探针的能力将在生物细胞中进行评估。 环境，分析细胞功能，如膜运输和 生物样品中的分子识别过程。此新功能 将是至关重要的了解各种药理学 和疾病过程。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is a critical need for analysis and monitoring of cellular and sub-cellular biological functions, especially for understanding pharmacological and disease processes. Optical microscopy has been previously used for biological sample characterization but has a diffraction limited resolution of lambda/2. However, scanning near-field optical microscopy can be used to achieve nanoscale resolution on the order of lambda/30 and better. The technique combines the properties of atomic force microscopy in the non-contact mode with optical microscopy, by utilizing a fiber optic probe tip that scans over a sample surface and simultaneously acquires shear force and optical signals to produce topographical and optical images, respectively. Optical fiber microtips fabricated from silica fibers have been used for this technique in the visible wavelength region with at least 100 nm resolution. However, these fibers cannot be used in the infrared because they do not transmit at wavelengths longer than 2 micro meters. We propose to develop the technique using infrared-transmitting optical fiber microtips capable of accessing the "fingerprint" region from 2-10 micro meters, where molecular species can be readily identified by their characteristic vibrational absorption bands. The goals of this program are: Develop the new technique of Scanning Near Field Infrared Microscopy using state-of-the-art low optical loss IR transmitting optical fibers which NRL has developed for a variety of applications. NRL will fabricate IR-transmitting microtips capable of probing the 2-10 um infrared wavelength region that has previously been unavailable. NRL will collaborate with Vanderbilt scientists in the implementation of the microtips with a Near Field Microscope. Demonstrate nanoscale optical resolution of at least 100 nm in the infrared with the SNIM system using the IR fiber microtips. Utilize the scanning near-field infrared microscopy (SNIM) in the 2-10 um wavelength region to investigate spectroscopic imaging of biological structures such as living cells at <100 nm resolution in an aqueous environment. The optical and topographical resolution as well as spectroscopic imaging capability of the probes will be evaluated in a biological cellular environment, to analyze cellular functions such as membrane transport and molecular recognition processes in biological samples. This new capability will be critical for the understanding of a wide variety of pharmacological and disease processes.