Ultra high sensitivity fluorescence microscope and its application in biology

Based on the digital high-sensitivity fluorescence microscope, the ultra high-sensitivity fluorescence microscope was developed. The system can enhance the fluorescence intensity more than 10⁶ and get the photon sensitive image of ultra-weak fluorescence. The accurate position of ultra-weak fluorescence can be confirmed by image fusion methods. Because the speed of image acquired system is 25 frame/s, the dynamic characters of fluorescence intensity can be investigated. Using the novel microscope to study the apoptosis of MGC-803 cells induced by As₂O₃, the density of Ca²⁺ in apoptotic cells obviously increase. Ca²⁺ is probably one of important roles in the process of MGC-803 apoptosis induced by As₂O₃.