雙光子螢光顯微鏡讓我們一窺未來

雙光子螢光顯微鏡使人類離僅用思想與周圍環境互動又更近了一步。

Monitoring brain activity has been a core component of neuroscience since the capability first emerged. The human brain is less understood than the universe and oceans. As such, there's a massive effort to unravel the mysteries that lie within your mind. Now, researchers can delve deeper into mental activity in real time using a revolutionary two-photon fluorescence microscope method. Here's what you need to know.

自從這種能力首次出現以來，監測大腦活動一直是神經科學的核心組成部分。人類大腦比宇宙和海洋更不為人所知。因此，需要付出巨大的努力來解開你心中的謎團。現在，研究人員可以使用革命性的雙光子螢光顯微鏡方法即時深入研究心理活動。這是您需要了解的內容。

Understanding brain activity is crucial for many industries, including treating neurological diseases like Alzheimer's. Scientists have spent considerable effort unraveling how neurons communicate and interact during thought. The goal of this research is to fully understand complex neural interactions down to cellular resolution.

了解大腦活動對於許多行業至關重要，包括治療阿茲海默症等神經系統疾病。科學家花費了大量精力來揭示神經元在思考過程中如何溝通和互動。這項研究的目標是充分理解複雜的神經相互作用直至細胞分辨率。

Researchers hope to use this data to shed light on fundamental brain functions which could one day lead to improved learning, memory, decision-making, and health care. To accomplish this task they created an advanced two-photon imaging tool capable of tracking dynamic neural processes in real-time, enabling a deeper insight into the brain during learning, activities, and disease states.

研究人員希望利用這些數據來揭示大腦的基本功能，有一天可能會改善學習、記憶、決策和醫療保健。為了完成這項任務，他們創建了一種先進的雙光子成像工具，能夠即時追蹤動態神經過程，從而能夠更深入地了解學習、活動和疾病狀態期間的大腦。

Current Methods of Registering Brain Activity

目前記錄大腦活動的方法

There are several methods of registering brain activity in use today. These approaches have helped the industry develop to this date. However, they do have some significant drawbacks including that they take more time to monitor activity, can be harmful to the patient, and are cost-prohibitive. The two most common methods in use today include Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Electroencephalography (EEG).

目前有多種記錄大腦活動的方法。這些方法幫助該行業發展至今。然而，它們確實有一些顯著的缺點，包括需要更多時間來監測活動、可能對患者有害，而且成本高昂。目前最常用的兩種方法包括功能性磁振造影 (fMRI) 和腦電圖 (EEG)。

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

功能性磁振造影 (fMRI)

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging is one of the most advanced methods used to monitor brain waves today. This non-invasive procedure integrates magnetic fields and radio waves to create a 3D image of your brain's electromagnetic pulses. This strategy marked a major improvement over previous options as it allowed researchers to zoom in on a particular set of neurons, improving their overall understanding of brain activity greatly.

功能性磁振造影是當今用於監測腦電波的最先進方法之一。這種非侵入性手術將磁場和無線電波結合起來，創造大腦電磁脈衝的 3D 影像。這項策略標誌著對先前選項的重大改進，因為它允許研究人員放大特定的一組神經元，從而大大提高他們對大腦活動的整體理解。

Electroencephalography (EEG)

腦電圖（EEG）

Another method that you may have seen in movies is Electroencephalography. This approach measures your brain's electrical activity. Patients need to place special sensors on their scalp that are sensitive to electrical currents. This method of tracking brain waves has been used since 1975 when Richard Caton first used it to track the electrical pulses found in rabbits' and monkeys' brains with success.

您可能在電影中看到的另一種方法是腦電圖檢查。這種方法可以測量大腦的電活動。患者需要在頭皮上放置對電流敏感的特殊感測器。這種追蹤腦電波的方法自 1975 年起就一直被使用，當時理查德·卡頓 (Richard Caton) 首次使用它來追蹤兔子和猴子大腦中發現的電脈衝，並取得了成功。

Since then, this method of registering brain activity has improved significantly. In the 1950s, the first modern iteration of the EEG was introduced. It served faithfully as the primary method of tracking brain waves into the 1980s. In 1988, it was used to enable a person, to control a robot and is still used by many researchers.

從那時起，這種記錄大腦活動的方法得到了顯著改善。 20 世紀 50 年代，首次現代版腦電圖問世。直到 20 世紀 80 年代，它一直是追蹤腦電波的主要方法。 1988 年，它被用來使人們能夠控制機器人，至今仍被許多研究人員使用。

Study

學習

The study “High-speed two-photon microscopy with adaptive line-excitation” was published in Optica revealing how two-photon microscopy can provide unmatched high-speed images of neural activity. These photos were made at a cellular resolution using a purpose-built two-photon fluorescence microscope.

這項研究「具有自適應線激發的高速雙光子顯微鏡」發表在 Optica 上，揭示了雙光子顯微鏡如何提供無與倫比的神經活動高速影像。這些照片是使用特製的雙光子螢光顯微鏡以細胞分辨率拍攝的。

Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscope

雙光子螢光顯微鏡

The Two-Photon fluorescence microscope is capable of providing vibrant images deep into brain tissue. To accomplish this task, the mechanism introduces an adaptive sampling structure. This structure would be repeated throughout the experiment to create dynamic 3d images and maps of brain activity.

雙光子螢光顯微鏡能夠提供深入腦組織的生動影像。為了完成此任務，該機制引入了自適應採樣結構。這種結構將在整個實驗過程中重複，以創建動態 3D 影像和大腦活動圖。

Adaptive Sampling Strategy

自適應採樣策略

At the core of the study is the introduction of the adaptive sampling strategy. This method replaces traditional point illumination techniques. Instead, a more effective line illumination strategy is employed alongside an updated point scanning method that provides far more detail and monitoring capabilities compared to past methods.

研究的核心是引入自適應採樣策略。此方法取代了傳統的點照明技術。相反，採用了更有效的線照明策略以及更新的點掃描方法，與過去的方法相比，該方法提供了更多的細節和監控功能。

Point Scanning

點掃描

Point scanning in old methods left much to be desired. For one, it was extremely specific which would often lead to the inability to track an entire neuron sequence across the brain. The new point scanning method uses an altered line illumination strategy to imitate high-resolution point scanning methods. This strategy is crucial in identifying what areas of the brain need to move on to the next step of the process, line scanning.

舊方法中的點掃描還有很多不足之處。其一，它非常具體，通常會導致無法追蹤大腦中的整個神經元序列。新的點掃描方法使用改變的線照明策略來模仿高解析度點掃描方法。這種策略對於確定大腦的哪些區域需要進入該過程的下一步（線掃描）至關重要。

Line Illumination

線條照明

Line illumination is a breakthrough for neurology engineers. The method projects a small line of light across a sampled area. This approach excites fluorescence, which makes it easier to track neurological signals across the brain from start to finish. Additionally, this approach allows a much larger area of the brain to be excited, scanned, and mapped in real-time.

線照明是神經學工程師的突破。此方法在採樣區域投射一條細線。這種方法會激發螢光，更容易從頭到尾追蹤整個大腦的神經訊號。此外，這種方法可以即時激發、掃描和繪製更大的大腦區域。

Two-Photon Microscope Testing

雙光子顯微鏡測試

The testing phase of the two-photon fluorescence microscope involved two lab mice, in which researchers were able to track neuronal activity in a mouse cortex in real time. Notably, the unit can capture image signals up to 198 Hz currently. In this test, the engineers tracked calcium signals which can signal recent neural activity.

雙光子螢光顯微鏡的測試階段涉及兩隻實驗室小鼠，研究人員能夠即時追蹤小鼠皮層中的神經元活動。值得注意的是，該裝置目前可以捕獲高達 198 Hz 的影像訊號。在這項測試中，工程師追蹤了可以發出近期神經活動訊號的鈣訊號。

Digital Micromirror Device (DMD)

數位微鏡裝置 (DMD)

To accomplish this task, a specially configured laser beam pattern is formed using a digital micromirror device (DMD). This unit contains thousands of microscopic mirrors. Each of these mirrors has individual controls that allow them to shape and target light at precise parts of the brain. Additionally, the mirrors can be set up to activate

為了完成此任務，使用數位微鏡元件 (DMD) 形成特殊配置的雷射光束圖案。該裝置包含數千個微型鏡子。每面鏡子都有單獨的控制裝置，使它們能夠塑造光線並將其瞄準大腦的精確部位。此外，鏡子可以設定為激活