Noncontact measurement of nerve displacement during action potential with a dual-beam low-coherence interferometer

Opt Lett. 2004 Sep 1;29(17):2028-30. doi: 10.1364/ol.29.002028.

Abstract

We have used a novel phase-referenced heterodyne dual-beam low-coherence interferometer to perform what we believe are the first noncontact measurements of surface motion in a nerve bundle during the action potential. Nerve displacements of approximately 5-nm amplitude and approximately 10-ms duration are measured without signal averaging. This interferometer may find general application in measurement of small motion in cells and other weakly scattering samples.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Microscopy, Interference / instrumentation*
  • Microscopy, Interference / methods*
  • Movement / physiology*
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Nephropidae
  • Nerve Fibers / physiology*
  • Nerve Fibers / ultrastructure*
  • Neural Conduction / physiology*
  • Peripheral Nerves / physiology
  • Peripheral Nerves / ultrastructure
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity