Inscopix Miniature Microsope Technology and Solution
The Neural Circuit Solution for Brain Mapping
Microscale
Single neurons
Mesoscale
Brain circuits
Macroscale
Brain regions
Traditional neurotechnologies limit brain mapping to either fine detail in very few neurons at a time (microscale), or in large regions without the detail of their individual neurons (macroscale). To truly understand how the brain functions, we need technologies that can map neural circuit activity at the mesoscale, i.e. in thousands of individual neurons simultaneously during a cognitive or behavioral task. Enter Inscopix.
Inscopix Miniature Microscope: The World’s Smallest Brain Observatory
The innovation at the core of the Inscopix brain-mapping platform is the integration and miniaturization of the bulky bench-top fluorescence microscope (Left) into a 2 gm device (Right), smaller than a fingertip, that can be mounted onto the skull of a living animal subject to observe its brain activity.
Products
Miniscope that explores the relationship between two distinct cellular populations from shallow or deep brain regions simultaneously with single-cell resolution
Miniscope great for integrating in vivo cellular-resolution calcium imaging with simultaneous or sequential optogenetic manipulation
Scalable miniscope solution that lets researchers visualize neuronal activity with cellular resolution during free behavior
Capture high-quality behavioral movies synchronized with in vivo data
Optimized for deciphering brain function through in vivo, simultaneous imaging of multiple brain regions in freely behaving animals
Overcomes the challenges of massive file organization and transfer with processing and analysis workflows
How the Miniscope Technology Works
When brain cells are activated, calcium levels rise within the cell. GCaMP6, a genetically encoded protein, binds calcium and emits a transient fluorescent signal. Inscopix miniscopes capture the minute variations in fluorescent signals that occur in real-time, in behaving animals. Imaging, optogenetic, and behavioral data are transmitted via a flexible cable to the data acquisition (DAQ) box, and the images are remotely streamed live on a computer or mobile device.
The Miniscope Technology in Action
Imaging the thinking, working brain (right) of a freely behaving mouse (left). The miniature microscope enables cellular resolution and cell-type specific GCaMP6 imaging in ~1,200 excitatory CA1 hippocampal neurons during active behavior over months.
Courtesy: Schnitzer Lab, Stanford
The Complete Miniature Microscope Solution
The Inscopix miniature microscope is the core of an end-to-end integrated platform that empowers researchers to catalyze ground-breaking neuroscience discoveries with speed and scientific rigor.
