This technology uses swept, confocally-aligned planar excitation (SCAPE) microscopy to deliver real-time biological imaging.
The ability to image biological samples in 3D is crucial for many clinical and diagnostic applications. However, standard 3D imaging techniques are limited by slow scan speeds, a restricted field of view, and light diffraction. While advanced variants exist, such as confocal microscopy, they are often time consuming, expensive, and impractical for clinical use. As such, a robust method is needed for real-time biomedical imaging in three dimensions that is accessible for routine clinical applications.
This technology describes a laser-scanning intersecting plane tomography system that provides 3D images of living biological samples in real-time. This technology relies on a specific orientation of the scan lens, detection array, and mirror to measure backscattered light from a sample and eliminate positioning errors. Additionally, this technology is capable of imaging 3D samples to a depth of 2 mm, which reduces the number of image planes needed to create a full 3D image, and can provide volumetric images with minimal light diffraction to achieve higher resolution images than conventional techniques. Recently, SCAPE microscope technology has been implemented into endoscopic and laparoscopic inspection instruments to allow 3D imaging inside the body. This technology provides an ideal platform for the development of diagnostic tools that leverage real-time 3D imaging for various clinical applications.
This technology has been used to image neuronal firing in the brain of mice in response to a stimulus. A refined version of this technology (SCAPE 2.0) has been used to image real-time neural activity of freely moving C. elegans worms, as well as flow and ion dynamics of a beating zebrafish heart.
IR CU14214
Licensing Contact: Ron Katz
