Holographic Microscope Can ‘See Through’ Mouse’s Skull & Brain Without Surgery

A holographic microscope can now peer into the skull of a mouse’s brain and provide 3D renders. 

This gadget was designed by a team of professors from the Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics within the Institute for Basic Science, The Catholic University of Korea, and Seoul National University, and it is able to give scientists insight into the inner workings of the brain without intrusive surgery. The study was published in Science Advances.

This new process uses light to dive deep into the living brain. Previously, when light hit the cells in the brain, its tissue and aberrations would cause the rays to produce blurry images. This model, however, enables researchers to “see through” the skull. In order to get a crisp image, it was paramount that the ratio of multi-scattered waves was reduced.

To do so, the researchers altered the wavefront distortion. This method picked out single-scattered waves. They then used an algorithm to analyze each unique wave as it delivered light to its medium—also known as the eigenmode.

This resulted in the microscope being able to cast more than 80 times its worth of light onto its subject while also ignoring unwanted signals. Ultimately, it gave scientists a chance to view the mouse’s brain in high-res without cutting into it.

The study also gave insight into how light and matter interact with each other.

[via Interesting Engineering and Institute For Basic Science, images via various sources]