Hankinnan kuvaus
The procurement object is a microscope system with optogenetics and other light stimulation capabilities consisting of the following subsystems:
1) microscopes(s) subsystem;
2) microscope camera(s) subsystem;
3) light sources subsystem;
4) sample stage(s) subsystem;
5) mini incubator subsystem and
6) computer with software and display. In the following, an integrated system consisting of all the subsystems 1-6 is called the “full system”. The usage purpose of the microscopy system to be purchased is to image cells, cell cultures, tissues and cell preparations, and cell-biomaterial constructs in vitro, and biomaterials and electrode materials (such as metals, oxides, and glass-like surfaces) with and without cell cultures, so that both the material surfaces and the cells can be imaged, using normal transmitted and reflected light microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, photobleaching, and optogenetics methods, as flexibly and with as good image quality as possible. The cells, cell cultures, and tissue preparations include stem cells, neuronal cells, cardiomyocytes, retina, and various epithelia. Experiments will also be conducted with high-intensity light activated materials that will be treated with the purchased lighting system during imaging. Both optogenetics and light activated material or bleaching experiments are planned to be performed simultaneously while the samples are being imaged. Also other experiments will be conducted using the different lighting modalities simultaneously and concurrently with imaging. Imaging experiments will include still, time-lapse, and video imaging. Still images will be acquired also from extremely lowlight samples/fluorescence. Video imaging will be used, for example, for detailed contraction analysis of cardiomyocytes. Experiments may also be conducted with the light system (especially optogenetics light stimulation) controlled by a third-party logic or devices. Experiments will be automated, so that several locations of the samples can be easily imaged and reimaged with different lighting and light stimulation modalities in time-lapsed manner. Samples to be imaged include transparent and non-transparent samples, and experiments will be conducted using both inverted and upright light paths. Some samples will be contained in atmospheric or sterile chambers, and will therefore be imaged from a distance dictated by the chamber using water immersion and in-air imaging through cover glass via upright light path. High-quality high-resolution images will be acquired via inverted light path using water and oil immersion through a cover glass. Inverted microscopy with imaging will also be performed through 1 mm glass plates. Normal in-air microscopy will be used for normal imaging and fast screening of samples using both inverted and upright light paths. Imaging targets may reside on a variety of dish formats or on/in a variety of materials, including but not limited to:
— microscope slides and cover glasses, multi-well cell culture plates,
— cell culture dishes and flasks,
— various biomaterial constructs,
— experimental engineered surfaces,
— hydrogels and
— transparent and non-transparent microelectrode arrays (MEAs) residing in their headstages. Concurrently with imaging, electrophysiological measurements of the samples being imaged will be conducted using the different MEA measurement and stimulation platforms already in use in the buyer’s laboratories; microscope imaging (still, time-lapse and video) and light stimulations (e.g., optogenetics, and high-intensity photobleaching and materials stimulation) will be synchronized with the electrical MEA measurements and electrical stimulation of the cells, and vice versa, and possibly with third party hardware; for example, the optogenetics light stimulation may need to be controlled by third party software/hardware. The imaging and MEA measurements are planned to take place in a mini incubator with controlled temperature and atmosphere.