DIRECT, a low-cost system for high-speed, low-noise imaging of fluorescent biological samples

TL;DR

This paper introduces DIRECT, a cost-effective high-speed imaging system for biological samples that captures rapid, high-resolution signals with minimal noise, suitable for integration with existing microscopes.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel low-cost imaging system that enables high-speed, high-resolution recording of fluorescent biological samples without modifying existing microscope setups.

Findings

Achieves high spatiotemporal resolution imaging

Successfully records individual neuronal action potentials

Operates at low cost and integrates with existing microscopes

Abstract

A targeted imaging system has been developed for applications requiring recording from stationary samples at high spatiotemporal resolutions. It works by illuminating regions of interest in rapid sequence, and recording the signal from the whole field of view onto a single photodetector, and can be implemented at low cost on an existing microscope without compromising existing functionality. The system is characterized in terms of speed, spatial resolution, and tissue penetration depth, before being used to record individual action potentials from ASAP-3 expressing neurons in an ex vivo mouse brain slice preparation.