Biomedical optical imaging made simpler

In a paper published recently in Biomedical Optics Express, Florian Emaury (Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zurich) and Fabian Voigt (Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich & ETH Zurich) reported a series of experiments they have undertaken together with co-workers. They established that in vivo multiphoton microscopy can be performed with considerably cheaper and more compact laser sources that has so far been possible.

Multiphoton microscopy is an important imaging modality for developmental biology and neuroscience. A main reason why its use is currently not more widespread is the high cost for the laser systems involved, typically Ti:Sapphire lasers. The Zurich team now used ultrafast semiconductor disk lasers and performed structural and functional multiphoton in vivo imaging in both drosophila larvae and mice, including, for example, structural and functional imaging of the mouse brain, where both the location of neurons and their electrical activity can be tracked (external page video). Importantly, the researchers found that the image quality obtained with their cost-effective lasers is comparable to what can be achieved with more  expensive Ti:Sapphire lasers. These results should therefore pave the way towards the wider use of multiphoton microscopy.

In a next step, Florian Emaury and his colleagues will further develop the semiconductor disk lasers toward commercialization in the field of biomedical imaging. That work is supported through a SNSF BRIDGE grant that Emaury has been awarded earlier this year.