Technology ID
TAB-2313
A Novel Optomechanical Module that Enables a Conventional inverted Microscope to Provide Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (iSPIM)
E-Numbers
E-078-2011-0
Lead Inventor
Shroff, Hari (NIBIB)
Development Status
- Prototype
- In vivo data available (animal)
Lead IC
NIBIB
ICs
NIBIB
The invention describes an optomechanical module that, when engaged with a conventional inverted microscope, provides selective plane illumination microscopy (iSPIM). The module is coupled to the translational base of the microscope whereby a SPIM excitation objective is engaged to one portion of the mount body, and a SPIM detection objective (having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to that of the excitation objective) is engaged to another portion of the mount body. Such a system offers the advantages of SPIM (optically sectioned, high-speed volumetric interrogation of living samples, enabling, for example, the study of developmental or neuronal dynamics at high frame rates), while maintaining the flexibility and sample geometry of commercially available inverted microscopes (thus additionally allowing wide-field, TIRF, confocal, or 2 photon imaging of samples).
Commercial Applications
- Imaging of live whole animals (e.g. worms) (demonstrated already).
- Superresolution (photoactivated localization microscopy) with minimal bleaching of dye molecules.
- High speed investigation of neuronal dynamics at high frame rates.
Competitive Advantages
- The system offers the advantages of SPIM, while maintaining the flexibility and sample geometry of commercially available inverted microscopes.
- In this system the sample can be easily mounted on a rectangular coverslip and may be translated using an automated 3D mechanical stage and additionally imaged using the conventional light path built into the inverted microscope frame.
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