An apparatus for the incubation of a biological material

An apparatus (200) for incubation of a viable biological material (2);

• said apparatus comprises:
• a housing (4) having an extension in a longitudinal direction X, in a transversal direction Y, and in a direction Z perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transversal direction;
• said housing comprising:
• two or more culture dish compartments (6), each being adapted to accommodate, one or more culture dishes (8) comprising a biological material (2);
• wherein said apparatus comprises an image capturing device (10);
• wherein said apparatus comprises a control unit (12) for controlling the operation thereof;
• wherein at least part of said image capturing device is configured to be movable in relation to the two or more culture dish compartments (6), thereby allowing capture of images of one or more of said biological materials (2) accommodated in said one or more culture dishes (8);
• and
• wherein said image capturing device (10) is being a FLIM unit (fluorescent lifetime imaging microscope);
• wherein at least part of said FLIM unit (11) is being configured to be movable in relation to the two or more culture dish compartments (6), thereby allowing capture of FLIM spectra of one or more of said biological materials (2) accommodated in said one or more culture dishes (8):
• wherein said FLIM unit independently comprises:
• a laser source, such as a pulsed laser source, such as a diode laser or a multiphoton excitation laser;
• and optionally also one or more of the following elements:
• a single photon sensitive detector;
• a dichroic mirror (for separation of fluorescence signal from the excitation light);
• an objective (for focusing excitation light into sample and/or for collecting fluorescence signal);
• a control system for controlling said FLIM unit;
• wherein said laser source being coupled to optical means for conveying electromagnetic radiation in the form of one or more optical fibers, said optical means comprising a distal end being configured to be directed close to the biological material, for conveying by transmission, electromagnetic radiation.

An apparatus (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said FLIM unit independently comprises one or more of the following elements:

• a laser source in the form of a pulsed laser source, such as a diode laser or a multiphoton excitation laser;
• a dichroic mirror (for separation of fluorescence signal from the excitation light);
• an objective (for focusing excitation light into sample and/or for collecting fluorescence signal);
• a control system for controlling said FLIM unit.