Carmona, Christopher et al. (2015) International Worm Meeting "Understanding Neurodynamics Through Light Field Microscopy."

Arisaka, Katsushi, Polanco, Edward, Carmona, Christopher, Madruga, Blake, Hammond, Addam

[International Worm Meeting, 2015]

Light field microscopy is a new technique that allows for quick volumetric imaging of fluorescent specimens. It utilizes a microlens array (MLA) as a key optical component that produces a light field and trades spatial resolution against angular resolution or axial resolution. The MLA is a matrix of lenses with diameters of 130mum that each resolve a visual perspective of a specimen being imaged at relative distances from the native object plane. As a result, recorded light-fields can be computationally reconstructed into full volumes. The volume reconstruction is formulated as an inverse linear transformation that is modeled using wave optics theory. Here, an epifluorescence light field microscope is designed and configured in order to resolve the neural activity of C. elegans during real-time inculcated behavior. The theoretical limits of the microscope's lateral resolution in relation to optical design choices are discussed and compared with experimental results. The primary focus of this investigation is the utilization of light field microscopy in conjunction with computationally intensive image processing methods as a useful tool for analyzing the behavior and corresponding brain activity of C. elegans. Light field microcopy has the potential to offer real-time 3-D video data of the unrestrained behavior of C. elegans.