Application of hyperspectral imaging for analysis of embryonic development of lower vertebrates

Abstract

The task of analyzing the characteristics of the embryonic development of lower vertebrates using non-invasive optical methods is considered. We propose to apply hyperspectral imaging for segmentation of embryo zones with different physical and chemical properties. This approach allows one to obtain information on the spatial distribution of optical spectral properties of the observed object. An experimental setup based on a microscope coupled with a spectral imaging add-on module utilizing a tunable acousto-optic filter has been created to implement this approach. Hyperspectral data arrays are formed as a series of spectral narrowband images obtained by successive tuning of the acousto-optic filter within the working spectral range. A series of experiments was conducted in which the development of embryos of the Misgurnus fossilis loach during their transition from the 32nd to the 33rd developmental stage was observed using the described experimental setup. Characteristic spatial regions corresponding to certain parts of the loach embryo were identified. The time dependences characterizing the change in the spectral properties of the selected regions were obtained. It is shown that joint processing of a series of spectral images obtained in different spectral bands within the working spectral range of an acousto-optical spectral imaging module allows one to effectively identify differences in the kinetics of the optical transmission spectral density for various regions of the axial mesoderm.