Optical Systems and Image Sensors for Imaging in Freely-Moving Animals

成像是生物医学研究的强大工具，提供非接触和微创或非侵入性的多尺度研究手段-从单分子到大细胞群。在清醒的、有行为的动物中成像是一个新兴的领域，它提供了能够在比组织切片甚至麻醉动物更自然的状态下研究生理过程和结构的额外优势。它可以提供重要的信息，生理以及疾病状态的活organis.I建议的仪器，将允许长期成像在自由移动的动物没有任何系绳的发展。该提案的两个主要目标是创建新的基于集成电路的图像传感器，提供大型台式相机的性能，同时在重量，复杂性和尺寸方面提供相当大的节省。另一个是设计微型光学成像系统，当与图像传感器集成时，可以创建微小的指尖大小的独立设备，实现照明，聚焦和图像捕获。小型化的高灵敏度、高分辨率成像系统也可以用于便携式、即时医疗成像仪器，例如视网膜成像仪，其可以在没有太多基础设施的情况下现场部署在远程位置。最终，这些仪器将在生物医学研究和临床应用中发挥重要作用。

Imaging is a powerful tool for biomedical research offering non-contact and minimally or non-invasive means of investigating at multiple scales - from single molecules to large populations of cells. Imaging in awake, behaving animals is an emerging field that offers the additional advantage of being able to study physiological processes and structures in a more natural state than what is possible in tissue slices or even in anesthetized animals. It can provide important information on physiological as well as diseased states of living organisms.I propose the development of instrumentation that will allow long term imaging in freely-moving animals without any tethers. The two main aims of the proposal are to create new integrated circuit based image sensors that offer the performance or large benchtop cameras while offering considerable saving in weight, complexity and size. The other is to design miniature optical imaging systems that when integrated with the image sensors can create tiny, fingertip-sized, stand-alone devises that implement illumination, focusing and image capture. Miniaturized high-sensitivity, high-resolution imaging systems can also be used for portable, point-of-care medical imaging instruments, such as retinal imagers, that can be field-deployed in remote locations without much infrastructure. Ultimately, these instruments will be of great use for both biomedical research and clinical applications.