Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy combined with laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Microscopy
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Synchronous micro-structural and fluorescence imaging is crucial for detailed biological analysis.
• Existing methods often lack the ability to combine these modalities seamlessly.
• Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy (GD-OCM) and laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy (LSCFM) offer complementary imaging capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel integrated imaging system, fluorescence Gabor domain optical coherence microscopy (Fluo GD-OCM).
• To achieve synchronous micro-structural and fluorescence imaging without mechanical adjustments.
• To demonstrate the system's utility in imaging biological samples.

Main Methods:

• Combined GD-OCM with LSCFM into a single platform (Fluo GD-OCM).
• Utilized GD-OCM's dynamic focusing for adaptive illumination for both modalities.
• Performed imaging on ex vivo DsRed-expressing cells in mouse brain and Cy3-labeled retinal cells (ganglion cells and astrocytes).

Main Results:

• Successfully developed Fluo GD-OCM for simultaneous micro-structural and fluorescence imaging.
• Demonstrated adaptive illumination without mechanical movement.
• Obtained high-quality images of labeled cells in mouse brain and retina.
• Showcased self-registration of images from both modalities.

Conclusions:

• Fluo GD-OCM enables synchronous micro-structural and fluorescence imaging.
• The system's dynamic focusing simplifies adaptive illumination.
• The technique shows significant potential for correlative studies and precise target identification in biological samples.