Open AccessAutomated microscope-independent fluorescence-guided micropipette
Author(s) -
Christopher Miranda,
Madeleine Howell,
Joel F. Lusk,
Ethan Marschall,
Jarrett Eshima,
Trent Anderson,
Barbara Smith
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.431372
Subject(s) - pipette , electrode , fluorescence microscope , materials science , microscopy , fluorescence , microscope , optical fiber , optics , fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy , biomedical engineering , optical mapping , chemistry , medicine , physics
Glass micropipette electrodes are commonly used to provide high resolution recordings of neurons. Although it is the gold standard for single cell recordings, it is highly dependent on the skill of the electrophysiologist. Here, we demonstrate a method of guiding micropipette electrodes to neurons by collecting fluorescence at the aperture, using an intra-electrode tapered optical fiber. The use of a tapered fiber for excitation and collection of fluorescence at the micropipette tip couples the feedback mechanism directly to the distance between the target and electrode. In this study, intra-electrode tapered optical fibers provide a targeted robotic approach to labeled neurons that is independent of microscopy.