Four-dimensional visualization of zebrafish cardiovascular and vessel dynamics by a structured illumination microscope with electrically tunable lens.

We established a four-dimensional (4D) microscopy method using structured illumination for optical axial imaging with an electrically tunable lens. With its fast imaging capability, the dynamics of the cardiovascular system of the zebrafish and cerebral vessels were imaged based on the coverage of two stacks (25 layers) per second with lateral /axial resolutions of 0.6 µm and 1.8 µm, respectively. Time lapse imaging clearly shows the contractile-relaxation response of the beating heart at different cardiac phases and with different mobilities of blood vessels in different regions. This new 4D technique will facilitate imaging of organ function, generation, as well as drug responses in small-sized animals.