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UCLA MINIscope Resource

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Overview

Our miniature fluorescence microscope uses wide-field fluorescence imaging to record neural activity and network structure in awake, freely behavin mice. The functional design of our microscope is similar to a table top wide-field fluorescence microscope with the following key differences:

• All nonessential componets have been removed
• The table top objective was replaced with an imaging objective GRadient Index of Refraction (GRIN) lens
• The miniature fluorescence microscope does not use any infinity optics
• The excitation light source is a super bright LED rather than a lamp or laser
• The optical filters and dichroic mirror are custom cut to minimize their size and weight
• A small CMOS imaging sensor is used to record emission light instead of a large CCD, emCCD, or sCMOS camera.
• Adjustment of focal plane is done by moving imaging sensor not objective

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Microscope Components

Software

Surgery

Processing

Part Lists