Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States of America. Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, United States of America.
J Neural Eng. 2017 Aug;14(4):045001. doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa6806.
Fluorescence imaging through head-mounted microscopes in freely behaving animals is becoming a standard method to study neural circuit function. Flexible, open-source designs are needed to spur evolution of the method.
We describe a miniature microscope for single-photon fluorescence imaging in freely behaving animals. The device is made from 3D printed parts and off-the-shelf components. These microscopes weigh less than 1.8 g, can be configured to image a variety of fluorophores, and can be used wirelessly or in conjunction with active commutators. Microscope control software, based in Swift for macOS, provides low-latency image processing capabilities for closed-loop, or BMI, experiments.
Miniature microscopes were deployed in the songbird premotor region HVC (used as a proper name), in singing zebra finches. Individual neurons yield temporally precise patterns of calcium activity that are consistent over repeated renditions of song. Several cells were tracked over timescales of weeks and months, providing an opportunity to study learning related changes in HVC.
3D printed miniature microscopes, composed completely of consumer grade components, are a cost-effective, modular option for head-mounting imaging. These easily constructed and customizable tools provide access to cell-type specific neural ensembles over timescales of weeks.
在自由活动的动物中通过头戴式显微镜进行荧光成像正成为研究神经回路功能的标准方法。需要灵活、开源的设计来推动该方法的发展。
我们描述了一种用于自由活动动物中单光子荧光成像的微型显微镜。该设备由 3D 打印部件和现成组件制成。这些显微镜的重量不到 1.8 克，可以配置为成像各种荧光团，并且可以无线使用或与主动换向器结合使用。基于 macOS 中的 Swift 的显微镜控制软件为闭环或 BMI 实验提供低延迟图像处理功能。
微型显微镜被部署在鸣禽前运动区 HVC（用作专有名词）中，在唱歌的斑马雀中。单个神经元产生时间精确的钙活性模式，在歌曲的重复呈现中保持一致。几个细胞在数周和数月的时间尺度上进行了跟踪，为研究 HVC 中的学习相关变化提供了机会。
完全由消费级组件制成的 3D 打印微型显微镜是一种经济高效、模块化的头戴式成像选项。这些易于构建和可定制的工具提供了对细胞类型特异性神经集合的访问，时间尺度为数周。
