Chinese researchers develop wireless microscope Airscope that can track over 8,500 neurons

Chinese researchers have developed a wireless microscope weighing just 1 gram that can image over 8,500 neurons while mice move freely, climb, and socialize. The findings were published in the journal Nature on Monday. The device, named Airscope, was co-developed by teams from Tsinghua University and the Chinese People's Liberation Army Medical Academy, claiming to be the lightest device in its category. Dai Qionghai, the corresponding author of the paper from Tsinghua University, stated that this technology should advance precise neural detection for optical brain-computer interfaces.

The significance of weight lies in the fact that understanding how large-scale neurons drive complex behaviors in natural and social environments is a core challenge in neuroscience. According to the Global Times, fixed head or wired systems limit movement and may distort behavior, while earlier wireless devices were too heavy and had narrow fields of view. Wu Jiamin, a member of the Tsinghua University team, noted that traditional head-mounted miniature microscopes typically weigh over 3 grams, while Airscope weighs only 1 gram without a battery, making it over 30% lighter than similar products.

Advantages of the Wireless Microscope

Airscope is equipped with a 2-megapixel sensor and an optical system with only four aspheric lenses, making it 2.84 times shorter than previous miniature microscopes while achieving imaging quality comparable to that of desktop microscopes. Its imaging resolution reaches single-cell level, approximately 4 micrometers, and it captures images at a rate of 12.5 frames per second within a 6 millimeter (0.24 inch) field of view. Data compression technology allows it to wirelessly stream millions of pixels of images, and a magnetically attached replaceable battery supports long-duration recordings.

The device can record calcium activity from over 8,500 neurons in a single mouse, which is 25 times that of existing wireless devices. It can stably record from the same brain region for over 200 days, with signal quality comparable to traditional desktop microscopes. The Global Times reported that the research team used Airscope to record mice in a natural habitat of about 5 square meters (54 square feet) and explored a large maze with 32 terminal arms. Wu Jiamin stated that the cortical activity of the mice systematically changed with the terrain they encountered.

Integration with Behavioral Analysis Tools

The device can also work in conjunction with behavioral analysis tools in room-sized arenas and swimming tests, simultaneously recording the activities of multiple animals. In experiments described in the journal Nature, patterns of activity in the dorsal cortex were associated with behavioral signs of social advantage, and group activity could predict which two mice would win in competitions. Researchers also observed patterns related to reward locations in the maze. By using two Airscopes simultaneously on one animal, the research team was able to record both brain and spinal cord activity, describing how spinal cord influence on the cortex performed under fear conditions.

Assistant Professor Zhang Yuanlong from Tsinghua University stated that this device allows for greater freedom of animal movement, enabling large-scale neural recordings to accompany a wider range of natural behaviors. Dai Qionghai pointed out that Airscope provides a new tool for studying the neural basis of intelligence and may expand into immunology and oncology in the future to track disease progression. The version in the journal Nature is an early online release and may undergo editing before final publication.