The physioLens™ is a Precision-Cut Lung Slice (PCLS) imaging research platform designed as a turnkey solution for automated airway contractility, dose response, cilia beating and calcium imaging studies in pulmonary tissues derived from mice, rats, pig or human lungs.
The system uniquely combines high-speed imaging, 3-channel fluorescent microscopy and precision 3-axis positioning to yield high quality images with predictive physiological outcomes in a highly automated instrument.
Asthma involves excessive airway smooth muscle contraction and heightened sensitivity, causing bronchoconstriction and hyperresponsiveness. The analysis of PCLS with the physioLens allows precise characterization of individual airways, offering data on their size, shape, and location while eliminating external influences. This approach also enables detailed assessment of airway smooth muscle contractility, a critical factor in asthma pathophysiology.
The physioLens enhances pulmonary hypertension research with high-throughput analysis of lung tissue from animals to humans. Its combination of brightfield and fluorescence microscopy, automated detection, and real-time contractility measurements enables precise studies of calcium dynamics and vascular responses. The perfusion setup ensures stable dosing and imaging. The added ability to measure cilia beating frequency provides new insights into airway and vascular health, advancing understanding of disease mechanisms and treatments.
PCLS effectively models key COPD-related changes, such as altered airway contractility, airway hyperresponsiveness, and parenchymal disruption which can all be measured with unparalleled precision using the physioLens. These capabilities allow the replication of COPD-specific outcomes, such as airway narrowing, mucus hypersecretion, and alveolar destruction, facilitating biomarker discovery and the identification of therapeutic targets. Additionally, PCLS are valuable for studying immune modulation, metabolism, cilia dysfunction, and mucin expression, offering a comprehensive platform for understanding COPD pathophysiology and testing novel interventions.
The physioLens is a powerful tool for advancing infectious disease research using PCLS. It enables detailed analysis of host-pathogen interactions, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and tissue contractility, alongside immune responses in an ex vivo lung environment. Researchers can use the physioLens to examine key phenomena such as cilia dysfunction, tissue inflammation, and immune pathway activation. Its capability to measure infection progression, cellular dynamics, and treatment effects in real time makes it an invaluable resource for studying viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens.
| Specifications | Values |
|---|---|
| Weight |
Microscope: 50lbs
Doser: 35lbs |
| Automated Objectives |
Switcher with 3 objective slots. 4x (3.5mm FOV) 10x (1.4mm FOV) 20x (0.7mm FOV) |
| Camera |
5MP camera, monochrome, 2448x2048 resolution, 3.45μm pixel size High speed camera 75 FPS when doing a full field of view |
| XY & Z stage |
XY: 1um resolution, 120mm total travel Z: 150nm resolution, 18mm total travel |
| Brightfield & Fluorescence |
Software lighting control Three fluorescence channels via solid state lighting: DAPI, GFP and TRITC / TDTomato / Orange #1 FISH |
| Sample |
Standard 6 well plates Well plate presence detection Well volume used: 5.5ml |
| Dosing |
Heating up to 45°C
Dosing from one of eight bottles (500ml) Doser nozzle travel (up/down): 0.65” (16.6mm) Overflow, nozzle presence & nozzle tilt detection sensors <20s media exchange for a dose Pump flow rate: 2-3 mL/s Doser dead volume: <5mL Serial dosing (1 well at a time): Images every 20 seconds, or faster depending on the number of airways. Parallel dosing (3 wells in parallel): Images every minute, depending on the number of airways. Up to 4 airways/slice |
| Slicer | From Precisionary (optional) |
Save time evaluating SCIREQ equipment by having a SCIREQ Application Specialist conduct a custom
literature research. Researchers will receive an email report showing SCIREQ publications relevant to their specific application research area, along with custom equipment recommendations and commentary.
