Photometer, low duty-cycle mode

[Henry Lester]

With apologies to the beautiful engineering that produced Miniscope V4 . . .

We're trying to do fiber photometry with a time resolution of 10 s, much slower than GCaMP imaging. We've modified Miniscope V4 to image the proximal end of a multimode fiber optic. We embed iNicSnFR12 (Pubmed  38302088) in a hydrogel, then attach the hydrogel to the distal end of a fiber optic. We flow nicotine past the distal tip. 

Therefore, it would be ideal to use Miniscope V4 in a low duty-cycle (perhaps 10%) mode.

We wish to run the Miniscope for 1 s at 10 s intervals.   This would allow us to avoid overheating the LED. 

Does anyone know of a macro allowing us to open the software, run it with predefined focus, gain, and LED intensity for a predetermined time (1 s), save the data file, close the software, wait 10 s, then do it all again?     

Again,. apologies for this apparent downgrade!

[Daniel Robert Griffiths]

We've used Bonsai for longer interval time lapse imaging with miniscopes... Check out the software ( Bonsai (bonsai-rx.org)  ) and see if it can do what you need! There is also a Bonsai support group on GitHub if you have trouble programming. Good luck!

[Henry Lester]

There is, indeed, some Bonsai expertise at Caltech (my institution), so we'll ask around.

In the spirit, "The best scientists ask the most questions" (Norman Davidson, 1995):

1. Another post, on this group or the Bonsai group, talks of "externalizing" miniscope parameters and using Bonsai. What's the meaning of the verb, "to externalize" in the present context?

2. One general compound question--to avoid hundreds more. a. Would you please point to a publication describing your techniques that "used Bonsai for longer interval time lapse imaging with miniscope"? 

b. How "long" is "longer time imaging"?  seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months?

c. Or, alternatively, give your full name or email address? You can find my own email quickly.