A research group led by Associate Professor Makoto Osanai of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, in cooperation with Toyo Glass Co., Ltd, and Gunma University has developed an ultra-small endoscope for a functional brain imaging. The diameter is only 450 µm including the protective metal tube but this endoscope has 10,000 pixels, allowing the recording of neuronal activities at the cellular level. This endoscope makes it possible to observe and record the faint light emitted from a single cell, allowing not only functional neuroimaging, but will also aid clinical research by allowing the visualization of cancer cells. The research results are scheduled to be published in Neuroscience Research, the Official Journal of the Japan Neuroscience Society. The paper's title is "Development of a micro-imaging probe for functional brain imaging."

More information (Japanese)

[Contact]

Associate Professor Makoto Osanai

Laboratory of Radiological Imaging and Informatics

Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

TEL: +81-22-717-7939

E-mail: osanai*med.tohoku.ac.jp (Replace * with @)