Integrative microendoscopic system combined with conventional microscope for live animal tissue imaging

• Published in: Journal of biophotonics Vol. 11; no. 12; pp. e201800206 - n/a
• Main Authors: Köhler, Martin, Paulson, Bjorn, Kim, Youngkyu, Lee, Sanghwa, Dicker, Andrea, van Krieken, Pim, Kim, Jae Young, Pack, Chan‐Gi, Joo, Jinmyoung, Berggren, Per‐Olof, Kim, Jun Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA 01.12.2018; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animal diseases; Animal models; Animal physiology; Animal tissues; Cellular manufacture; confocal microscopy; endoscopes; Endoscopy; Image acquisition; intravital microscopy; Medical imaging; Medical treatment; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Microscopes; optical devices; Pathogens; Probes; Relay systems; intravital microscopy; endoscopes; optical devices; confocal microscopy
• ISSN: 1864-063X; 1864-0648; 1864-0648
• DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201800206

Intravital optical imaging technology is essential for minimally invasive optical diagnosis and treatment in small animal disease models. High‐resolution imaging requires high‐resolution optical probes, and high‐resolution optical imaging systems based on highly precise and advanced technologies and therefore, associated with high‐system costs. Besides, in order to acquire small animal live images, special types of animal imaging setups are indispensable. In this paper, a microendoscopic system is designed as an add‐on to existing conventional imaging microscopes, reducing the price of complete confocal endomicroscopic systems. The proposed attachable system can be configured for confocal microscopes from common manufacturers and this enables users to acquire live animal cellular images from a conventional system. It features a 4f optical plane relay system, a rotary stage for side‐view endoscopic probes, and an endoscopic probe mount which swings between the horizontal and the vertical. The system could be widely useful for biological studies of animal physiology and disease models. Optical diagnosis in small animal disease models requires a combination of minimally invasive and high‐resolution optical probes. Here, an attachable device is designed to enable optical relay between narrow‐diameter, high‐resolution microendoscopic probes and high‐performance standalone confocal fluorescence microscopes. The device achieves high performance at minimal additional cost, and is demonstrated for intravital imaging of the mouse pancreas, thereby showing promise for application to physiology and disease studies.