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Welcome to Miniscope.org Wiki! Follow the project on Twitter: @MiniscopeTeam.

The miniature fluorescence microscope described here is based on a design pioneered by Mark Schnitzer's Lab at Stanford and published in a paper in Nature Methods in 2011. It uses wide-field fluorescence imaging to record neural activity in awake, freely moving mice. The microscope introduced here (Miniscope) has a mass of 3 grams and uses a single, flexible coaxial cable (0.3mm to 1.5mm diameter) to carry power, control signals, and imaging data to custom open source Data Acquisition (DAQ) hardware and software. This wiki site provides a centralized location for sharing design files, source code, and other relevant information so that a community of users can share ideas and developments related to this important imaging technique. Our goal is to help disseminate this technology to the larger neuroscience community and build a foundation of users that will continue advancing this technology and contribute back to the project. While the Miniscope system described here is not an off-the-shelf commercial solution, we have focused on making it as easy as possible for the average neuroscience lab to build and modify, requiring minimal soldering and hands on assembly. For more information please visit the Project Overview page. The Miniscope project and Miniscope.org are still works in progress and will be routinely updated over the coming months and years. We hope you will contribute to this important process!

Current Status of Project

The Miniscope project is now in its third year of development at UCLA and has gone through two major revisions. Miniscopes were used to understand how the brain links memories across time, with the findings published in Nature, 2016. The work and files available on this site are the most up-to-date public version of our system and will be updated frequently with improvements and new system features. Again, we hope that you will contribute to this development process! This wiki is designed for this very purpose.

Initial access to the miniscope.org wiki was enabled mid January, 2016.

Important: Using this system we have successfully imaged Hippocampal CA1, Subiculum, Dorsal Striatum, Parietal Cortex, Prefrontal Cortex, and Visual Cortex using 0.5mm, 1mm, 1.8mm, and 2mm diameter GRIN lenses from either Grintech or GoFoton. (More information on GRIN lenses can be found here).


Links to information on miniscope subsystems

Overview System.png
Head Mounted Scope
Data Acquisition Box
Data Acquisition Software
Surgery Protocol
Master Parts List
Analysis Package
GRIN Lens Information


Discussion Board and FAQ

Discussion Board (Our previous discussion board can be found here.. Please do not post here)
FAQs

Guides and Tutorials

A key feature of this effort is to design miniscope systems that are easy to build and use. The guides below will walk you through component procurement, scope assembly, and software installation.

  1. Overview of System Components
  2. Part Procurement
  3. System Assembly
  4. Recommended Computer Specs
  5. Software and Firmware Setup
  6. Initial Testing of Assembled Miniscopes
  7. Imaging With Thin GRIN Lenses
  8. Surgery Protocol
  9. Animal Behavior Guide

Workshop Resource

We will be holding a pre-SfN workshop November 9th, 2017. For more information visit our MCCS/ICLM Workshop Page.

The Golshani, Silva, and Khakh labs will be hosting free, two-day long Miniscope workshops here at UCLA. We are currently planning at least 3 workshops for 2018. Please enter your information here to request a spot in upcoming workshops.

If you cannot attend one of our workshops, presentations, data files, and workshop videos can be found on our Online Workshop page.


Miniscope Community Member Pages

Member Pages

Update Log

05/24/2018
Updated the Analysis Package page and Other_Open_Source_Projects page
04/14/2018
Updated the Master Parts List for more up-to-date information and comments
01/27/2018
Added Miniscope Gripper by Bastijn van den Boom at NIN
11/6/2017
Added Miniscope Baseplate and Protective Cone for Rats by Bastijn van den Boom at NIN
5/2/2017
Updated 'Additional Open Source Resources' to include CNMF-E from the Paninski Lab and an open source miniature microscope from the Gardner Lab.
2/01/2017
Added additional assembly and surgery tutorial videos.
11/29/2016
Added a link on the front page to request a spot in upcoming Miniscope workshops.
10/28/2016
Added version 3.2 of the DAQ PCB to the GitHub repository.
07/28/2016
Added a new group PCB order signup sheet here.
07/21/2016
Fixed bug that would crash the Miniscope DAQ software when using the 'Trigger Ext' option. This option is now fully functional and allows one to remotely trigger the Miniscope to record using a LVTTL or TTL high signal.
04/20/2016
Added Initial Testing of Assembled Miniscopes which outlines the process of testing new Miniscope systems.
04/16/2016
Added Imaging With Thin GRIN Lenses describing how to use Miniscopes to image with GRIN lenses 1mm diameter and thinner.
04/12/2016
Added a new group PCB order signup sheet here.
04/13/2016
Updated the GitHub repository to include the newer version of the CMOS Imaging Sensor PCB (v3.2).
03/25/2016
Updated the Surgery and Baseplating Presentation link.
Updated the Recommended Computer Specs page... Apparently a MacBook Pro running Windows 8 doesn't always agree with the Miniscope system.
03/18/2016
Added the DAQ housing design files to our GitHub repository.
03/16/2016
Added a Member Pages page for sharing miniscope.org member created pages.
02/24/2016
Added a set of example Miniscope data to the Workshop Resources page.
02/17/2016
Added a new way to connectorize the coaxial cable. This update includes a new PCB design on the GitHub repository as well as an assembly video on the System Assembly page.
02/10/2016
Started adding videos to the Workshop Resource and System Assembly page
02/05/2016
Updated the DAQ Software and Firmware to support FPS adjustment. The source code and compiled files can be found on our GitHub repository.
02/03/2016
Updated Surgery Tools on Miniscope Master Parts List
01/28/2016
Added PCB price quotes to reference when ordering PCB fabrication and assembly through Sierra Circuits. They can be found on the Part Procurement page.
01/27/2016
IMPORTANT: Updated CMOS Imaging Sensor PCB Fabrication file to newest version
01/20/2016
Updated Surgery Tools on Miniscope Master Parts List
Added GRIN lens specifications on GRIN Lens Information page
Updated the PCB Assembly documents on Github will a more detailed description of SMD LED orientation
Slight modification to the Baseplate 3D model on Github
01/14/2016
Comments added to segmentation functions
Added through-hole components for DAQ PCB on Master Parts List
Added additional soldering tools on Master Parts List
01/13/2016
Added basic surgery outline
Added a picture guide for scope and Baseplate assembly
01/12/2016
Finalizing of Miniscope Master Parts List
01/10/2016
Upload of current version of all files and documents to Github
01/09/2016
Added guide to programming firmware to DAQ PCB