Development Visualization Masahiko HIRANO*, of a Fiber-Optic of Cells Stained Yutaka YAMASHITA** Plate Microscope System and with Fluorescent Dyes
Citation
HIRANO, M., YAMASHITA, Y., & MIYAKAWA, A. (1993). Development of a Fiber-Optic Plate Microscope System and Visualization of Cells Stained with Fluorescent Dyes. Analytical Sciences, 9, 375–380.
- Fiber-optic plate
- video-microscopy
- fluorescence microscopy
- calcium measurement
Brief
A new video-microscope system uses a fiber-optic plate, shaped like a needle and composed of thousands of optical fibers, to transmit images of cells located in the internal parts of a living animal to an objective lens for analysis. The fiber-optic plate is made of glass and is 50 mm long and 1 mm in diameter. The diameter of each optical fiber is 3 µm. This microscope system can be used to visualize cells and to optically analyze their activity at the single-cell level.
Summary
This 1993 article from the journal ANALYTICAL SCIENCES by Masahiko HIRANO, Yutaka YAMASHITA, and Atsuo MIYAKAWA discusses the development and testing of a new video-microscope system. This system utilizes a fiber-optic plate, shaped like a needle and comprised of thousands of optical fibers, to transmit images to an objective lens. The authors suggest this system could be used to visualize and analyze the activity of cells within living organisms.
The authors found that:
- The fiber-optic plate microscope system could clearly image fluorescent beads and cells stained with fluorescent dyes.
- The system's spatial resolution is limited by the 3 µm diameter of the optical fibers in the fiber-optic plate.
- The fiber-optic plate does not transmit light with wavelengths shorter than 380 nm well.
- The system has sufficient sensitivity to detect fluorescence from dyes commonly used in cell biology.
The authors conclude that the fiber-optic plate microscope system could be used to measure the physiological activity of cells within living animals in real-time. They also suggest potential applications in clinical settings, such as preliminary diagnosis and visualization of tissues in difficult-to-reach areas during surgery.
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