Inscopix nVista 2P
Inscopix nVista 2P Miniscope
The nVista® 2P system brings the power of two-photon imaging to freely behaving animals, enabling researchers to visualize neural circuit activity with enhanced resolution, optical sectioning, and image quality compared to conventional one-photon approaches. Weighing just 2.6 grams, the lightweight miniscope supports natural behavior while providing access to virtually any brain region in rodents through a broad portfolio of GRIN Lens implants. Integrated with the Inscopix ecosystem, nVista 2P combines streamlined dual-channel data acquisition, advanced analysis tools, and dedicated scientific support to accelerate discovery from experiment design to publication.
Revolutionizing neural circuit imaging in freely behaving animal research
The nVista 2P system extends two-photon imaging beyond traditional head-fixed experiments, enabling high-resolution neural circuit studies during natural behavior. Key features and capabilities include:
- Unique design — Supports imaging with no restriction on animal movement
- Increased resolution — Improves cell identification, segmentation, and longitudinal tracking
- Optimized workflows — Integrate with dedicated optics, software, and behavioral tools
- Simultaneous dual-channel detection — Allows imaging in both red and green sensors in the same FOV
Innovative Design
Advanced imaging capabilities and a lightweight, well-balanced design expand what researchers can capture during freely behaving studies.
Smallest, Lightest Commercially Available Miniscope
The nVista 2P system features the smallest and lightest commercially available dual-channel miniscope, weighing only 2.6 grams. Its lightweight, balanced design enables imaging during natural behaviors while minimizing the impact on animal movement and exploration.
Dual-Channel Detection
nVista 2P's simultaneous dual-channel detection allows imaging in both red and green sensors within the same field of view.
Flexible Mobile Workstation Architecture
The miniscope's imaging hardware is paired with a mobile workstation architecture, allowing researchers to bring the complete system directly to their experimental setup and maximize flexibility within the laboratory.
Improved Resolution and Longitudinal Imaging
Better cell identification and registration
By leveraging two-photon excitation, the nVista 2P system provides improved optical sectioning and reduced background fluorescence compared to one-photon imaging approaches. This capability minimizes the detection of out-of-focus light within the 400 × 400 μm field of view, improving image quality and facilitating cellular identification.
The system is compatible with a broad range of ProView 2P Integrated GRIN Lenses, enabling access to numerous brain regions in mouse and rat models. An integrated electronic focus mechanism maximizes the available working distance in vivo, typically providing approximately 300 μm of depth adjustment depending on the preparation. Combined with reproducible docking and image-overlay workflows in Inscopix Data Acquisition Software (IDAS), researchers can confidently conduct longitudinal imaging studies across days, weeks, and months.
Longer-term imaging across days, weeks, and months
Two-photon benchtop systems, where the animal is fixed, often require workarounds such as using joystick and ball running to recreate natural behaviors. These paradigms demand extensive training and can lead to unrealistic behaviors (e.g., athlete-animal syndrome). The nVista 2P system solves these issues by integrating and miniaturizing traditional benchtop fluorescence instrumentation into a well-balanced miniscope, enabling freely behaving experiments without compromising the animal's ability to interact with its environment.
Compared to one-photon imaging, the nVista 2P system can improve researchers' ability to differentiate overlapping cells and accurately coregister the same cells across sessions. It offers reduced background, improved resolution (1.6 μm), and the ability to image densely labeled or deep regions, such as the entorhinal cortex and hypothalamus, all during free behavior.
Complete Ecosystem
The nVista 2P system integrates seamlessly with the Inscopix nVision® platform for synchronized behavioral acquisition. Together, these technologies enable researchers to study neural activity within the context of behavior, task performance, and environmental cues.
Analysis is streamlined through the IDEAS cloud platform, which includes workflows for both one-photon and two-photon calcium imaging data. Researchers can perform motion correction, cell extraction, quality assessment, and multimodal data analysis using a unified environment. IDEAS also supports advanced behavioral analysis workflows, enabling rapid generation of publication-ready figures and insights from complex neural and behavioral datasets.
This end-to-end ecosystem helps accelerate scientific discovery by providing integrated hardware, software, analysis tools, and expert scientific support across experimental design, data acquisition, analysis, and publication workflows.
Applications of the nVista 2P System
From imaging neural, glial, and vascular activity at cellular resolution during natural behavior to investigating neurovascular interactions deep within tissue, the nVista 2P system enables in vivo imaging experiments that provide a deeper understanding of biological function.
In Vivo Calcium Imaging During Free Behavior
With a field of view (FOV) of 400 x 400 μm and the ability to focus over 300 μm into tissue, the nVista 2P camera’s versatile design is compatible with cranial window and GRIN lens preparations. The miniscope is also compatible with well-known analysis solutions used in one-photon and two-photon imaging, allowing researchers to confidently assess data quality, run statistical inferences, and even parse differences within cell populations across annotated behavioral or neuronal epochs.
Image: GCaMP-expressing neurons in the prefrontal cortex of a freely behaving animal.
Observe Vascular Activity
The nVista 2P miniscope retains the versatility of Bruker one-photon systems with the ability to image non-neuronal, fluorescence-like blood vessels. The expanded vessel diameter estimations analysis package available in both IDPS and the IDEAS platform allows researchers to directly study vascular reactivity in relation to behavioral and pharmaceutical challenges. This will help researchers tackle major questions in cardiovascular health and disease prevention.
Astrocyte Imaging During Free Behavior
Beyond vascular imaging alone, nVista 2P also enables researchers to study neurovascular interactions at cellular resolution. Recent astrocyte imaging data acquired in dorsal CA1 demonstrated visualization of perivascular astrocyte feet, highlighting their role in maintaining brain homeostasis. Combined with IDPS and IDEAS analysis tools, researchers can investigate relationships between astrocyte activity, vascular dynamics, behavior, and pharmacological perturbations.
Observing vascular activity
In this example, the large mid-meningeal artery is visible alongside smaller vessels running across the field of view, demonstrating the ability of nVista 2P to image non-neuronal, fluorescence-like blood vessels. Combined with vessel diameter estimation, this capability enables researchers to directly observe vascular reactivity in response to behavioral and pharmaceutical challenges, supporting research into cardiovascular health and disease prevention.
Figure 1: Representative vascular imaging showing the mid-meningeal artery in the middle (large vessel) and smaller vessels running across.
Astrocyte imaging during free behavior
The nVista 2P platform supports imaging of astrocyte calcium dynamics in freely behaving animals. Recent experiments in dorsal CA1 using a GFAPcre × GCaMP6f transgenic mouse line demonstrated visualization of astrocyte activity and perivascular feet associated with neurovascular homeostasis.
These studies expand the ability of researchers to investigate interactions between glial cells, blood vessels, and neural circuits in natural behavioral contexts.
Data acquired at the Bordeaux Neurocampus.
Figure 2: Perivascular astrocyte imaging of a transgenic mouse line expressing GCaMP6f through ProView Integrated 1 × 4 mm GRIN lens.
Miniscope Accessories Online Store
At the core of every successful calcium imaging study is precise expression and optical access. Bruker offers a comprehensive portfolio of consumables to support your Inscopix miniscope research, including Gradient Refractive Index (GRIN) lenses and workflow-enhancing kits. These solutions are designed to simplify experimental setup and enable high-resolution imaging in deep brain regions of freely behaving animals.
Browse the catalog or contact us to discover how our reagents and optics can accelerate your path from surgery to insight.
Integrated Solutions for Data Acquisition, Processing, Analysis, and Sharing
Inscopix Data Acquisition Software (IDAS)
IDAS is a user-friendly interface that helps users streamline experiments from setup to acquisition. It allows neuroscientists to:
- Control all aspects of each acquisition channel
- Preview outputs to monitor data acquisition
- Play back and display ROI traces of miniscope videos
- Set up behavior acquisition (with nVision), controlling initialization and synchronization of external devices through TTL communications
Inscopix Data Exploration, Analysis, and Sharing (IDEAS) Platform
IDEAS is the most powerful platform for neuroscience and behavioral data analysis, leveraging cloud infrastructure to organize large datasets and accelerate computing. It allows researchers to:
- Explore and organize results: Securely upload to the cloud for visualization, annotation, and storage
- Analyze and integrate data: Use prebuilt workflows for 1-photon, 2-photon, and behavior data
- Share data, workflows, and results: Enable collaboration and reproducibility across and outside the platform
Frequently Asked Questions
The nVista 2P system provides improved optical sectioning and reduced background fluorescence compared to one-photon imaging approaches. This improves image quality and the ability to differentiate overlapping cells or accurately coregister the same cells across sessions. nVista 2P offers 1.6 μm resolution and can image densely labeled or deep regions, such as the entorhinal cortex and hypothalamus, during free behavior.
The nVista 2P system is compatible with a broad range of ProView 2P Integrated GRIN Lenses, enabling access to numerous brain regions in mouse and rat models. It supports imaging of shallow and deep brain regions through cranial windows and GRIN lens preparations, including deep regions such as the entorhinal cortex and hypothalamus.
Download the brochure to learn more.
Yes. Reproducible docking and image-overlay workflows in Inscopix Data Acquisition Software (IDAS) support longitudinal imaging studies across days, weeks, and months. The system's improved resolution can also improve the ability to accurately coregister the same cells across sessions.
Inscopix provides comprehensive support throughout the research life cycle, from system installation and training to ongoing technical assistance and troubleshooting. Researchers have access to dedicated Field Service and Support (FSC) specialists, customer support resources, and software guidance to help maximize system performance and accelerate scientific outcomes.
The nVista 2P system brochure is available for download.
You can request a quote using our online form or contact us directly.