IEEE ICMA 2015 Conference
Plenary Talk 4

Visual Servo Microscope for Optogenetic
Manipulation and Neural Network Identification

Koichi Hashimoto, D.Eng.
Professor
Graduate School of Information Sciences/Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
E-mail: koichi@m.tohoku.ac.jp
https://www.ic.is.tohoku.ac.jp

Abstract:
The talk is on the visual servo microscope used with optogenetics and fluorescent observation. Recent developments in genetic science enable us to identify the functionalities of the neural network in brain. One of the technique is genome editing in which DNA is inserted, replaced or removed from a genome. This realizes fluorescent proteins developed in specified cells, e.g. neurons, muscles, or organs. It can also realize deformed animals in which specified neural channels are broken. Another technique is optogenetics, a combination of genetics and optics to control events within specific cells of living animals. These techniques allow us to optically “on and off” the neural activity of single or multiple neural cells in millisecond order. And also we can observe the activity of other neural cells by using fluorescent Ca2+ sensing protein. In other words, we can disturb and observe the activity of neural cells in a very complicated neural network, i.e. brain, of living animals simultaneously. One big challenge is how to track the neurons in the brain of moving animals. Another challenge is how to observe the fluorescent neurons and how to disturb the optogenetic neurons in the brain of moving animals. Our project is started to track a moving simple animal under a microscope. Infrared and fluorescent images are fed back to the PC and identify the position of the target cells. A motorized stage under the microscope is controlled to cancel the motion of the target. Also at a specified light pattern is projected onto the target optogenetic cells. This system is called visual servo microscope and extensively used in many research teams.

Dr. Hashimoto is a Professor in the Graduate School of Information Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Tohoku University. He is also an affiliate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology. His interest is on visual servo, image processing, high-speed camera system, 3D modeling, and microscope systems. He received his DE, ME, and DE from Osaka University, 1985, 1987 and 1990, respectively.
https://www.ic.is.tohoku.ac.jp/en/koichi/