Recently My professor connected me with a couple of biomedical researchers who had a specific problem, they were studying mouse brain neurons and needed a specialized imaging chamber for their microscope work. The existing chambers (RC-27D, RC-26GLP, and JG-23) were close to what they needed, but not quite right.

The researchers needed something that combined the best features of these chambers but with a larger imaging area. Their microscope head needed to immerse itself into the fluid in the slide chamber, and the existing designs were causing interference issues. These chambers are designed for "ultra quiet" solution delivery, they allow fluid changes around tissue samples without creating vibrations that compromise imaging quality.

I designed a custom chamber from scratch using Fusion 360, leveraging parametric modeling to enable easy adjustments to length, width, and height while preserving the complex geometry needed for proper fluid flow.

After iterating through feedback from the researchers, the design was finalized and several prototypes were printed on a Formlabs Form 4 using Clear V5 resin. The parts were "overcured" to maximize rigidity and prevent any tackiness.

The final step involved parylene coating to prevent contamination of the brain tissue samples. Multiple versions with different parameter sets were produced, allowing the researchers to test what worked best with their specific setup.

The project delivered exactly what the researchers needed, custom chambers that solved their microscope clearance issues while maintaining the ultra-quiet fluid delivery essential for high-quality neural imaging.

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MD 2025