901D: High-Speed Video Sarcomere Length

request a quote

The High-Speed Video Sarcomere Length (HVSL) system provides high-speed, accurate sarcomere length measurement from a live video image. Our 901D HVSL system uses a high-resolution, USB 3.0 camera to provide full-frame images (1280×1024) at up to 300 frames per second. This frame rate increases to 3,000 frames per second when the camera is windowed down to 16 pixel lines.

Our software allows dynamic tracking of sarcomere length within the image which ensures that, as the tissue moves and contracts, the same sarcomeres will always be used for the calculation. Image capture and sarcomere length data can be controlled by our 600A Digital Controller software which runs on a real-time Linux operating system.

Unique Record and Playback functions allow high-speed streaming to disk and permit calculation of sarcomere length from image files. The Analysis function graphically displays sarcomere length and velocity over time.

The software includes a Scope function that provides a scrolling data display of sarcomere length with time. Researchers can accurately and easily record up to 2 hours of sarcomere length data. The Scope display allows freeze-framing at any time. In addition to scrolling through the sarcomere history, Scope also provides SL data logging to disk at rates of up to 1,000 samples per second.

The program includes two computationally accurate and fast length calculation methods, Autocorrelation Function (ACF)/Sine-fit and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)/curve fit.

high performance at high resolution, 300 frames per second at 1280×1024 pixels
calculates sarcomere length accurately even with small sample regions and poor image quality
dynamic tracking of region of interest – keeps the same sarcomeres in the region of interest as the tissue moves and contracts
Record and Playback functions that allow streaming to disk at full camera speed (up to 3,000 frames per second) and calculation of sarcomere length from image files
Scope function provides real-time scrolling data display, stores up to 2 hours of sarcomere length data, can also log data to disk at up to 1,000 samples per second

real-time sarcomere length measurement from digital video camera
SL control, image capture and SL data output can all be controlled by 600A Digital Controller
complete package includes – HVSL Software, CMOS camera, all required cables, calibration slide. Install software on 600A PC or purchase standalone PC
easy calibration of two optical magnifications using two different methods: Field of View or Calibrated Length
two computationally accurate and extremely fast length calculation methods: Autocorrelation Function (ACF)/Sine-fit and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT)/curve fit

Components

901-CAM: HVSL Camera
911A: HVSL Software
901-CAL: Microscope Calibration Slide for 900B/901B
USB 3.0 Cable

Variant

901D-SA High-Speed Video Sarcomere Length Standalone System:
Standalone high-speed video sarcomere length system that includes Linux PC, high-speed camera, software and all cables

Stories of Success

900B – Sarcomere Length in Zebrafish Larvae

CHALLENGE

In 2011 Dr. Dennis Claflin approached us to try out our 900B Video Sarcomere Length system. Dr. Claflin was a long time user of Aurora Scientific equipment and an expert in single fiber measurements. He had been using a simple laser diffraction method to quantify SL in his permeabilized fibers, however, this method was not compatible with another one of his chambers.

This chamber would be mounted on an inverted microscope and used to test the mechanical forces of single, living zebrafish larvae. Because of their relative ease of rearing and their transparent body, these larvae can be used as an inexpensive model for a variety of human myopathies.

SOLUTION

Since our 900B Video Sarcomere Length system uses a C-mount camera, it is compatible with virtually all inverted microscopes. Additionally, there are no complicated procedures for calibration of different tissues. A simple reticule to correlate camera pixels to distance and 5 minute calibration was all that was required. As long as the sample presents a remotely visible sarcomere pattern the software would converge to the dominant solution. All of these attributes made the 900B the right choice to study zebrafish larvae.

RESULTS

The video sarcomere length system was put to work on a variety of different tissues such as lumbrical muscle and ultimately zebrafish. The camera proved quite successful for setting resting SL in the zebrafish larvae despite the overlapping of tissue and skin. The lab’s results using these methods have been extensively published and were recently featured in a JoVE video publication.

Select References

Adao, Rui et al. “Urocortin-2 improves right ventricular function and attenuates pulmonary arterial hypertension.” Cardiovascular Research (2018) DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvy076
Tonino, Paulo et al. “The giant protein titin regulates the length of the striated muscle thick filament.” Nature communications (2017) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01144-9
Tomalka, Andre et al. “The active force-length relationship is invisible during extensive eccentric contractions in skinned skeletal muscle fibres.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2017) DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2497
Noonan et al. “Paraspinal Muscle Contractile Function is Impaired in the ENT1-deficient Mouse Model of Progressive Spine Pathology” Spine (2021) DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003882
Noonan et al. “Paraspinal Muscle Contractile Function is Impaired in the ENT1-deficient Mouse Model of Progressive Spine Pathology” Spine (2021) DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003882
Brynnel et al. “Downsizing the molecular spring of the giant protein titin reveals that skeletal muscle titin determines passive stiffness and drives longitudinal hypertrophy” eLife (2018) DOI: 10.7554/eLife.40532
Radke, Michael H. et al. “Deleting Full Length Titin Versus the Titin M-Band Region Leads to Differential Mechanosignaling and Cardiac Phenotypes.” Circulation (2019) DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.037588
Land, Sander et al. “A model of cardiac contraction based on novel measurements of tension development in human cardiomyocytes.” Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2017) DOI: 10.1016/j.yjmcc.2017.03.008

Related Products

600A: Real-Time Muscle Data Acquisition and Analysis System

Specifications

Software Specifications	901D
Operating System	Linux
Image Functions	Brightness, Contrast, Region of Interest (ROI), Offset, Zoom
ROI Display	Width vs Height (readout in pixels or microns)
Display Rotation	Rotate Display to Align Software Image with Microscope Image
Camera ROI Function	Window camera for increased frame rates (see Frame Rate below)
Calibration	Field of View (FOV) or Calibration Length
SL Calculation Algorithm	Autocorrelation Function/Sine-Fit, Fast Fourier Transform/Curve Fit
Tissue Length Calculation Algorithm	Image analysis measures distance between probes
Scope Function	Real-time scrolling display of SL and Tissue Length
Record Function	Stores SL, Tissue Length, Images or All to disk at current frame rate
Playback Function	Playback stored image files, calculate SL, create AVI movies
Analysis	Plots Sarcomere Length and Velocity vs Time

Camera Specifications	901D
Type	CMOS Mono
Resolution [pixels]	1280 x 1024
Pixel Size [µm]	4.8 x 4.8
Optical Format [in]	1/3
Frame Rate [frames/sec]	(1280 x 1024): 310 (1280 x 8): 3,000
Lens Mount	C-Mount, ½” Format
Data Output Transfer	USB 3.0
Power Required	USB Connection
Power Consumption [W]	1.3 – 2.0
Weight [g]	52
Dimensions [mm]	29L x 29W x 29H

Resources

Interested in the High-Speed Video Sarcomere Length System?

Connect with us to discuss your research, schedule a demo or request a quote!

Contact Us