# System for Volumetric 2-photon Imaging of Neuroactivity Using Light Beads Microscopy

> **NIH NIH R44** · MICROBRIGHTFIELD, LLC · 2022 · $449,982

## Abstract

Abstract
This project aims to develop and commercialize the Volumetric Calcium Imaging 2-Photon Activity Microscope,
vCAm™, a revolutionary new 2-photon microscope based on a technological breakthrough called Light Beads
Microscopy (LBM) that was recently developed by Dr. Alipasha Vaziri and co-workers (Lab. Neurotechnol.
Biophys., Rockefeller Univ., New York, NY). The game-changing innovation in the vCAm is the ability to perform
unparalleled in vivo calcium imaging of individual neurons at cellular resolution nearly simultaneously in one or
more cytoarchitectonic regions of the mouse cerebral cortex, and nearly simultaneously in 30 imaging planes
each ~16 µm apart (i.e., up to a total depth of 500 µm, encompassing layers I-V) at a full-frame rate of at least
12 Hertz. These capabilities are crucial for ultimately correlating stimuli and/or behavioral states of an animal
discretely, in a context-dependent manner, with the activity of all neurons in the brain of the animal that are
involved in this process, which requires simultaneous recording of the activity of hundreds of thousands of
neurons in a multi-regional and multi-layer manner. However, contemporary 2-photon microscopy suffers from
a fundamental limitation. Neuroscience researchers need to record simultaneous interactions between the
sensory, motor and visual regions of the brain, but it is difficult to capture the activity in such a broad volume of
the brain without sacrificing resolution or speed. The LBM technology pushes the limits of imaging speed to the
physical nature of fluorescence itself by eliminating the “dead time” between sequential laser pulses when no
neuroactivity is recorded and at the same time the need for scanning. With this approach, the only limit to the
rate at which samples can be recorded is the time that it takes the tags to fluoresce, meaning wide volumes of
the brain can be recorded within the same time it would take a conventional two-photon microscope to capture
a much smaller number of brain cells. Other technology, such as miniaturized 2-photon microscopes that can be
carried on the head of freely moving rodents, functional magnetic resonance imaging, inserting electrodes into
the brain, or fiber photometry do not fulfill this need. This project will improve upon the original LBM invention to
create a commercial product for disseminating this important new technology. Based on pilot work performed at
Dr. Vaziri's laboratory, it is clear that the vCAm will make a significant impact on the field of neuroscience
research, including advancing studies focused on alterations in the circuitry of the central nervous system
associated with neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Ultimately, this will
result in an improved basis for developing novel treatment strategies for a wide spectrum of complex brain
diseases. In Phase I we will demonstrate the feasibility of this novel technology by developing prototype hardware
and software; ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10603310
- **Project number:** 1R44MH132234-01
- **Recipient organization:** MICROBRIGHTFIELD, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** JACOB R GLASER
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $449,982
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-05 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10603310

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10603310, System for Volumetric 2-photon Imaging of Neuroactivity Using Light Beads Microscopy (1R44MH132234-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10603310. Licensed CC0.

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