The Movable Objective Microscope (MOM) is designed to be an ultra-stable, versatile, fluorescence platform for electrophysiology experiments. The MOM is a new alternative to the popular technique employing a fixed-stage, upright microscope on a translating X-Y table. The advantage of the MOM is that only the microscope objective is moving in 3 dimensions. The main frame of the microscope, including the light source and camera mount, is firmly bolted to the tabletop via a rock solid aluminum extrusion.

Additionally, the microscope body is very compact, allowing easy access for multiple manipulators. The fixed stage is based on one of our Sutter MT-75 gantry columns that have already proven themselves as solid supports for manipulators and as fixed stages in our own microscope-translator system, the MT-1000. Furthermore, because there is no microscope frame below the objective, it is easy to use this microscope on in vivo preparations where an animal is immobilized on a special stage or stereotaxic frame.

Finally, the microscope is easily convertible from an upright to an inverted microscope. This would allow for fixed-stage electrophysiology experiments on cells in culture. Current designs require a massive translator and fixed stage in combination with a commercial inverted scope.

Features of the Movable Objective Microscope:

• Objective moves 22mm in X, Y and Z
• Objective rotates about optical axis for imaging of non-horizontal surfaces and volumes
• Cambridge Technology 6210 XY scanners with 3mm dielectric mirrors and Micromax 673 dual axis controllers
• Two channel detector system with Hamamatsu R6357 PMTs and C7319 preamplifiers
• Sutter PS-2 dual channel PMT power supply
• National Instruments NI-6110 based data acquisition system