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Part Procurement
In this repository we have included everything you need to source, fabricate, and assembled MiniLFOV however you choose. While much of the system can be built with off the shelf commercial component, it also requires custom Miniscope body parts and a custom Rigid Flex PCB. Below is a part procurement guide that outlines possible options for sourcing all the necessary Miniscope parts listed in the Part List page on this wiki.
We have also put together a Miniscope Buyer's Guide for information about acquiring MiniLFOV assembly kits, fully assembled MiniLFOV, Miniscope DAQ's, and accessoriers. This is generally the avenue most research should take when setting up Miniscopes in a lab.
A Note on the Open-Source Nature of the Miniscope Project: With the Miniscope project being an open-source project, any person, group, or company has the option of putting together and selling any part of this system. While this has generally resulted in mostly well put together parts and system for previous Miniscopes released, there is always the risk that some groups/companies will supply less-than-adequate components/systems. We try to work with open-source distribution groups and commercial companies interested in distributing parts of our system to make sure the work/support/systems they provide are up to the standards the neuroscience community expects. In the procurement guide below, we try to list as many avenues as possible of getting high-quality components for Miniscopes. If you know of, or have questions about, other sources of components/systems feel free to ask us about them on the Miniscope Discussion Forum.
By the time you reach the end of this guide, you will have ordered or purchased everything needed to assemble and use a MiniLFOV. You should cross-reference the Part List page as there likely is some complimentary information there.
Requirements and suggestions:
- Currently the Miniscope DAQ Software runs on Windows and Linux. The software has been written in QT and uses OpenCV, therefore it likely can be built for other operating systems without too much effort.
- Requires a USB3 port
- The number of cores/threads needed to run the Miniscope Software will depend on the number of devices you plan on streaming data from and the data compression you plan on using. For light loads, a mid-priced laptop or better should be fine.
- In the past, we had generally used MacBook Pro's running Windows through Bootcamp for Miniscope acquisition but we have noticed that a specific configuration of Bootcamp + Windows does not play well with the new Miniscope DAQ Software. Therefore we suggest currently staying away from Mac's running Windows.
- If you do not need portability in your computer, a standard desktop should be able to handle the Miniscope Software without issue.
A Miniscope connects to a computer through a Miniscope DAQ PCB/Box. We are in the process of developing new Miniscope DAQs but currently you will use the already released Miniscope DAQ (Version 3.x) for the MiniLFOV. This means that if your lab currently uses Miniscopes, you just need to upload new Miniscope DAQ Firmware to the DAQ to enable MiniLFOV support.
The Github Repo for the Miniscope DAQ v3.2 can be found here. This is only needed if you plan on fabricating, assembling, or modifying the DAQ yourself.
Most users do not have a need to modify the DAQ and would prefer directly purchasing an assembled, programmed, and tested Miniscope DAQ. Below are link(s) to distribution companies that keep a stock of fully assembled Miniscope DAQs:
Updated Minsicope DAQ from OEPS. This is our preferred DAQ as it comes with a few additional improvements over the Miniscope DAQ v3.2. These improvements can be found on the OEPS site. Miniscope DAQ PCB from LabMaker. LabMaker also sells a Miniscope DAQ in a box for substantially more. We suggest only getting the assembled and tested PCB from them and find a Miniscope DAQ box elsewhere. One place to get a 3D printed DAQ box is here.
We have be working with the Open Ephys Production Site (OEPS) to put together a MiniFLOV Assembly Kit that contains everything you need to build a MiniLFOV. Importantly, all components in this Assembly Kit are initially vetted by the Miniscope Team and fully validated and tested by OEPS. They have put in great effort to keeping the cost of the Assembly Kit down while still being able to back the Kits with part replacement and support.
We would highly recommend this option as the Assembly Kit has the backing of OEPS, you will be supporting open-source distribution, you only need to go to one vendor for everything needed, and the components in the kit have been vetted by the Miniscope Team.
If instead, you want to acquire each individual component separately, follow the guide below.
If you want to procure MiniLFOV components individually, see below:
The Rigid-Flex PCB of the MiniLFOV is definitely the most difficult item to source for the system. We are working on finding distribution sources that will keep this PCB in stock at reasonable pricing and expect the PCB to start to become available in 2022.
This repository contains the KiCad design files, gerbers, BOM, and pick and place files if you want to get the Rigid-Flex PCB fabricated and assembled yourself. More information on its specifications can be found on the Rigid Flex PCB page.
The Miniscope body is composed of:
| Quantity | Part Name | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Objective Module Body | resin |
| 1 | Emission Module Body | resin |
| 1 | Sensor Module Body | resin |
| 1 | Cover | resin |
| 1 | Spacer | resin |
| 1 | L5 Holder | resin |
| 1 | Cable Holder | resin |
In addition you will need MiniLFOV baseplates for mounting the Miniscope to the animal's skull and a Protective Cap to protect the GRIN lens.
| Quantity | Part Name | Material |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseplate | resin |
| 1 | Protective Cap | resin |
Fusion and .STL files are included in this repository. It you get these machined yourself, you need to make sure the fit of the 3mm and 4mm lenses are a press-fit. You also need to make sure the base plate fit is a slip-fit.
3D Printing Options: We have had decent success 3D printing them on a Formlabs Form3 printer using their black resin.
We have tested the MiniLFOV using lenses from Edmund Optics. Below is the standard optical stack for the MiniLFOV. It will result in 3.1 X 2.3 mm field-of-view diameter and 1.9mm working distance. For other lens stack options visit the Lens Configurations page.
| Lens Number | Vendor | Part Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmund Optics | 45-345 | 6.25mm diameter, 60mm FL achromat used in the objective module |
| 1 | Edmund Optics | 49-656 | 9mm diameter, 12mm FL aspherized achromat used in the objective module |
| 1 | Edmund Optics | 45-092 | 9mm diameter, 27mm FL achromat used in the objective module |
| 1 | Edmund Optics | 49-658 | 12.5mm diameter, 14mm FL aspherized achromat used in the emissioin module |
| 1 | Edmund Optics | 45-019 | 12.0mm diameter, -48mm MgF2 Coated, Plano-Concave Lens used in the emission module |
| Lens Number | Vendor | Part Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varioptics/Corning | Corning Arctic 58N | Corning® Varioptic® Lenses introduces new A-58N variable focus liquid lens |
You will need to get 3 optical filters for the MiniLFOV. These are standard GCaMP/GFP filters but they need to be diced to a small, custom size. We recommend getting these lenses from Chroma as they are very familiar with the Miniscope project and often keep these custom diced filters in stock. You can also ask Chroma to dice most of the filters they sell if you want to image other wavelengths.
| Quantity | Vendor | Part Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chroma | ET470/40x | 4mm x 4mm x 1.1mm excitation filter. Make sure to say this size in the request |
| 1 | Chroma | ET525/50m | 10mm x 10mm x 1mm emission filter. Make sure to say this size in the request |
| 1 | Chroma | T500spxr | 14mm x 10mm x 1mm dichroic filter. Make sure to say this size in the request |
| Quantity | Vendor | Part Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~10ft | Cooner Wire | CW2040-3650SR | This is our recommended coax cable. It is 1.1mm in diameter and both strong and flexible |
| ~5ft | Mouser | 538-50MCX-37 | This is an extremely thin coax cable. Generally it will work up to about 5ft in length. |
| Quantity | Vendor | Part Number | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | McMaster-Carr | 96817a704 | M1 thread-forming screws |
| 8 | McMaster-Carr | 92196A052 | 18-8 Stainless Steel Socket Head Screw, 0-80 Thread Size |
| 2 | Thorlabs | SS4S025 | 4-40 Stainless Steel Setscrew, 1/4" Long |