Imaging Solutions - 2D sensing of oxygen-, pH- and CO2- distributions: Seeing the invisible!
Applications
Spatially highly resolved imaging of heterogeneous systems using fluorescence-optical sensor foils proved its potential in several mapping and screening applications. Typical samples are tissues (animal or plant), cell suspensions, sediments or similar complex biological solution or gels. Here, only two examples are given. For more detailed information please download the imaging brochure from this site.
a) Reading out the signal of fluorescence-optical sensors with a camera is ideally suitable for multiplexed sensing in life science because imaging means measuring a lot of sensor equipped wells simultaneously. Especially automated acquisition and evaluation of time series allow easy access to enormous amounts of data, e.g. for assessing bacterial growth kinetics or building libraries for combinatorial methods. In tissue engineering applications it is possible to monitor culturing conditions and trigger selective interventions in case of insufficient nutrient supply.
b) Fluorescent optical sensor foils combined with imaging technology allow easy visualization of oxygen distributions over plant or animal tissue surfaces. For measurement, the tissue surface is covered with the sensor foil and the oxygen content in the tissue and the sensitive layer of the sensor foil equilibrates. Thereafter, a digital camera records the fluorescence signal of the sensor. All tissue structures are accessible, no matter if vasculated or non-vasculated, and comparatively fast changes (concentration changes within seconds) can be monitored.
