Developments of needle-lens probe intravital video-microscope-high resolution and high speed CCD camera systems

The authors have developed needle-lens probe intravital microscope systems with a high-resolution and a high-speed CCD camera to analyze the microcirculation in a beating canine heart. The high-resolution system has 2-/spl mu/m spatial resolution and enables one to observe the diameter changes of pre- and post-capillary subendocardial microvessels. The high-speed system has 5-ms temporal resolution, allowing one to visualize blood flow in arterioles in a beating heart.