International Journal of Biomedical Imaging 
Volume 2006 (2006), Article ID 93438, 6 pages
doi:10.1155/IJBI/2006/93438

High-Speed Fluorescence Imaging and Intensity Profiling of Femtosecond-Induced Calcium Transients

Daniel Day, Charles G. Cranfield, and Min Gu

 Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia
Received 21 September 2005; Revised 14 December 2005; Accepted 5 January 2006

Recommended by Vasilis Ntziachristos

Abstract

We have demonstrated a combined imaging system, where the physiology of biological specimens can be imaged and profiled at 10–20 frames per second whilst undergoing femtosecond laser irradiation. Individual GH3 cells labeled with the calcium fluorophore Fluo-3 were stimulated using a counter-propagating focused femtosecond beam with respect to the imaging system. As a result of the stimulation, calcium waves can be generated in COS cells, and laser-induced calcium oscillations are initiated in the GH3 cells. Single-photon fluorescence images and intensity profiles of the targeted specimens are sampled in real-time using a modified PerkinElmer UltraView LCI microscope.