Large Field of View Microscope for Rapid, High-Resolution Imaging

In this SBIR effort, Nikira Labs Inc. proposes to develop and deliver a high-resolution ( 1 cm2). The instrument will provide a wide array of imaging modalities, including brightfield, darkfield, fluorescence, quantitative phase, and Rheinberg imaging. In Phase II, Nikira Labs will fabricate, test, and deliver a turnkey microscope system that provides all the aforementioned imaging modalities. The system will include the hardware(microscope, incubator, motorized XY stage…), electronics (LED array, LED driver, computing…), and software (data control/acquisition/analysis/reporting and user-interface) necessary to take periodic images of live cell cultures. After extensive testing of each imaging modality, the final, fully-documented instrument will be delivered to the NIST Cell Systems Science Group where it will be used to study live stem cell growth and dynamics as part of the emerging field of stem cell therapy, with eventual application in the process control of stem cell growth lines. It will enable researchers to scan 12 well plates in under 15 minutes. Additionally, it will allow for higher power objectives to provide imaging of individual cells without being limited by the working distance of the objective.