The 1-Photon SLM Microscopy Kit is a scan-less SLM-based epi-fluorescence upright microscope that enables three-dimensional calcium imaging and/or photoactivation of neurons in brain slices. The microscope can be used to excite and monitor activity of neuronal ensembles, enabling studies of neuronal circuit activity both in vitro and in vivo.

The use of spatial light modulators (SLMs) in microscopy allows for the three-dimensional (3D) excitation and monitoring of neuronal ensembles, facilitating studies of neuronal circuit activity in both controlled environments (in vitro) and living organisms (in vivo). Meadowlark’s 1-Photon SLM Microscopy Kit is a solution that assists researchers in getting results faster by providing custom specifications of preselected components for a system ready to work when it arrives.

Microscopes using SLM technology can precisely direct light within a 3D volume for experiments involving calcium imaging and photostimulation. Additionally, they support extended depth-of-field imaging techniques, enabling the mapping of the interconnectivity of neural circuits.

Conventional fluorescence microscopy illuminates a specimen evenly, allowing visualization of multiple colored fluorophores (chemicals that can emit light when exposed to light.) However, it has limitations in resolution and contrast due to high background intensity from out-of-focus regions.

Confocal microscopy, a popular imaging technique, addresses this issue by selectively illuminating and blocking out-of-focus light. It enhances optical resolution and contrast by using single-point illumination and a pinhole to filter unwanted signals. This method allows for the collection of light only from sections very close to the focal plane, enabling optical sectioning and three-dimensional reconstruction.

In traditional microscopy, fluorescence is produced by shining light of a specific wavelength on fluorophores, causing them to emit light at a higher wavelength. This process, using a single photon, is common in both traditional fluorescence and confocal microscopy.