The Netherlands Neuroscience Institute (NIN), part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), seeks to purchase a gantry-style two-photon microscope which allows for custom modifications, including adding custom modules, without the help of the vendor. Any usage licenses, maintenance contract, installation support etc. are included.

The Netherlands Neuroscience Institute (NIN), part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), seeks to purchase a gantry-style two-photon (2p) microscope which allows for custom modifications, including adding custom modules, without the help of the vendor. Any usage licenses, maintenance contract, installation support etc. are included.

Large experimental setups need to be placed underneath the microscope for imaging, for example a serial sectioning and tomographic imaging water bath. Large collection optics are needed for increased sensitivity to capture weak signals. Fast scanners are needed for reducing time required for acquiring images for large scale datasets.

The 2p microscope has to fulfil the following criteria:

a) Mechanical design

i) design of the system must allow us to make custom modifications, such as adding custom modules, without the help of the vendor.

ii) space under the objective must not be restricted by the frame of the microscope, e.g. gantry style frame or a frame with suitable reach. Reach of ~330mm is required

iii) At least 530mm between the legs of the gantry.

b) Scan optics

i) An optical relay is required between the X and Y scanning mirrors

ii) optics used must be available ‘off-the-shelf’ in case they need replacing or changing to meet new demands.

iii) mounting of the optics must be in an optomechanical cage system.

iv) Field of view (with 16x objective) to be 1.2mm when using the Novanta resonant scanner.

c) Collection optics

i) 3 local PMTs.

ii) PMTs must be easily exchangeable e.g. attached via SM1 threads.

iii) system must be fitted with ‘2 inch collection optics’.

d) XYZ motorization

i) system must have motorized XY and Z stages

ii) X and Y direction must have at least 130mm and 60mm of travel respectively.

iii) motorized stages must allow the user to control them through third party software i.e ScanImage, Matlab, own software etc.

iv) system must be fitted with a piezo-based objective positioner for fast volume scanning.

e) Software and data acquisition

i) Must run ScanImage

ii) Must use the vDAQ from Vidrio Technologies

f) Other

i) Spare scanners and PMT for one.