Through-skull brain imaging in vivo at visible wavelengths via dimensionality reduction adaptive-optical microscopy

Seeing inside the skulls of mice

28 October 2022

An optical microscope capable of imaging through the skull of a living mouse has been demonstrated.

New-generation microscopes use various strategies to image deep into biological tissue. But a persistent problem has been light that bounces off multiple structures before exiting a sample. Such light blurs images, limiting the depth within samples that can be imaged.

Now, a team led by researchers from the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea has overcome this problem by employing mathematical processing to filter out multiple-scattered light while retaining light reflected once from a single surface.

Using their microscope, the researchers were able to image neurons inside the brains of mice — with skulls intact.

Furthermore, the microscope uses visible light, which gives a higher resolution than the longer-wavelength, near-infrared light usually used.

Supported content

References

1. Science Advances 8, eabo4366 (2022). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4366