Miniaturized Microscope
Miniaturized Microscope - Related Videos
09:39
Successful In vivo Calcium Imaging with a Head-Mount Miniaturized Microscope in the Amygdala of Freely Behaving Mouse
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Cited by 4 •
2020
In vivo microendoscopic calcium imaging is an invaluable tool that enables real-time monitoring of neuronal activities in freely behaving animals. However, applying this technique to the amygdala has been difficult. This protocol aims to provide a useful guideline for successfully targeting amygdala cells with a miniaturized microscope in mice.
08:47
Culturing Mouse Cardiac Valves in the Miniature Tissue Culture System
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Cited by 10 •
2015
Here, we present an ex vivo flow model in which murine cardiac valves can be cultured allowing the study of the biology of the valve.
04:37
A Technique to Assess the Inhibitory Effect of Toxin Exposure on Miniature Excitatory Postsynaptic Currents (mEPSCs)
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2025
The video demonstrates the electrophysiological analysis of embryonic stem cell-derived neurons after exposure to neurotoxins. Treating these neurons with botulinum neurotoxins reduces the frequency of spontaneous miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents, confirming inhibition of synaptic transmission.
10:35
Multi-layer Cortical Ca2+ Imaging in Freely Moving Mice with Prism Probes and Miniaturized Fluorescence Microscopy
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Cited by 26 •
2017
Here, we present a procedure for performing large-scale Ca2+ imaging with cellular-resolution across multiple cortical layers in freely moving mice. Hundreds of active cells can be observed simultaneously using a miniature, head-mounted microscope coupled with an implanted prism probe.
13:59
Reduced-gravity Environment Hardware Demonstrations of a Prototype Miniaturized Flow Cytometer and Companion Microfluidic Mixing Technology
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Cited by 9 •
2014
Spaceflight blood diagnostics need innovation. Few demonstrations have been published illustrating in-flight, reduced-gravity health diagnostic technology. Here we present a method for construction and operation of a parabolic flight test rig for a prototype point-of-care flow-cytometry design, with components and preparation strategies adaptable to other setups.
FAQs
Miniature lenses or gradient-index (GRIN) optics provide the imaging pathway, while light-emitting diodes, filters, and a CMOS camera support fluorescence recording. In neuroscience experiments, this coordinated system captures signals from neurons through an optical interface, allowing neural activity to be measured in relation to an animal’s behavior rather than only as isolated microscopic images.
Fluorescence provides the recorded signal from neurons, giving researchers a way to monitor activity while an animal performs behaviors. Because the camera collects these signals through the microscope’s optical components, investigators can relate cellular-level changes to processes such as navigation, learning, and social interaction, connecting neural dynamics with observable behavior.
A fixed microscope restricts imaging to settings compatible with a stationary instrument, whereas a head-mounted design supports recordings from freely moving animals. This difference enables experiments in more naturalistic behavioral conditions and provides access to neural circuits that are difficult to study with conventional fixed systems, particularly when movement is central to the research question.
The surgical optical interface provides the connection through which the miniature imaging system records fluorescence from neural tissue. Once this interface is established, the head-mounted instrument can collect signals during behavior without requiring the animal to remain positioned under a conventional microscope. This arrangement supports repeated observation of neural activity across behavioral experiences.
A typical workflow includes establishing a surgically implanted optical interface, positioning the miniature microscope with its optical and camera components, and recording neuronal fluorescence while the animal moves and behaves. Researchers then relate the captured neural signals to behaviors such as navigation, learning, or social interaction, using the same general setup for longitudinal observations.
Researchers would choose this approach when movement and naturalistic behavior are essential to the experiment. Its head-mounted format permits imaging in freely moving animals, making it useful for examining how neural circuits participate in navigation, learning, and social interactions. The method is also valuable when investigators need to follow neural dynamics over extended longitudinal studies.