Miniaturized multicolor fluorescence imaging system integrated with a PDMS light-guide plate for biomedical investigation

Miniaturized fluorescence imaging systems are promising platforms that overcome the limited use of conventional microscopes in the biomedical field. However, there are physical limitations for multicolor fluorescence imaging in existing miniaturized imaging systems because multiple filters have to be integrated into a small structure. Here, we present a miniaturized multicolor fluorescence imaging system integrated with single polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) light-guide plate (LGP) for multicolor fluorescence imaging. The PDMS LGP allows guiding the transmitted light from the light source only to the fluorescent samples regardless of the wavelength of the light source. Thus, our system is capable of multicolor fluorescence imaging without multiple filters that block the excitation light. We demonstrated the usability of our system in the biomedical field by observing green- and red-labeled cells in the incubator. Our proposed system can be used in a wide range of applications for studies that require multicolor fluorescence imaging in the biomedical field.

Automated summary

Miniaturized fluorescence imaging systems have great potential in the biomedical field, overcoming limitations of conventional microscopes. However, existing miniaturized systems face physical limitations for multicolor fluorescence imaging due to the need for multiple filters in a small structure. This study presents a miniaturized multicolor fluorescence imaging system integrated with a single polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) light-guide plate (LGP) that allows for multicolor imaging without multiple filters. The system was demonstrated to successfully observe green- and red-labeled cells in an incubator, showing its usability in the biomedical field for various applications requiring multicolor fluorescence imaging.