Imaging and Microscopy

Cryogenic fluorescent light microscopy of flash-frozen cells presents significant advantages and provides an important complement to electron cryo-microscopy. In particular, bleaching decreases drastically at low temperature while the fluorescence yield of many fluorophores increases and the spectral bands narrow. The application of modern super-resolution methods such as STED, PALM, STORM, or SIM at cryogenic temperature holds the prospect of imaging fluorescent proteins with high precision in ...

Light microscopy enables fascinating insights into the microcosm of life. It is one of the key techniques in life science and provides access to a better understanding of biology across many orders of magnitude in time and space. The use of visible light allows for minimally invasive imaging - even of living cells - and direct observation with the human eye. However, the use of visible light limits the resolution of the image obtained to about half the wavelength of the used light. The limiting ...

This invention presents a novel method to accelerate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) by dynamically modulating the sensitivity profiles of RF receive coils. Traditional MRI methods rely on fixed sensitivity profiles, limiting the speed of acquisition. The new approach introduces time-dependent modifications, enabling access to additional spatial information for faster and higher-resolution imaging. By employing adjustable electronic components such as varactor diodes or metamaterials, the method ...

This invention presents a novel AI-based method for optimizing imaging settings in electron microscopy, specifically targeting autofocus and astigmatism correction. By applying deep learning, the system rapidly estimates and adjusts key imaging parameters in real time, significantly enhancing both image quality and efficiency. Unlike traditional physics-based approaches, this method generalizes well across different microscopes and configurations. It operates using pairs of images with known deviations ...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is nowadays a leading mo¬dality for diagnostic imaging with about 100 million examinations per year worldwide. However, when invented by Paul Christian Lauterbur in 1973, MRI was too slow to allow for routine medical applications. A breakthrough was achieved in 1985 by the FLASH (Fast Low Angle Shot) technique developed by Jens Frahm and his team at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. With FLASH the measuring time for a cross-sectional ...

This advanced scanning luminescence light microscope enables spatial, high-resolution imaging of luminescence-labeled structures. Utilizing innovative periodic patterns created by crossed line gratings of luminescence inhibition and excitation light, the microscope surpasses traditional diffraction limits. These patterns precisely confine the luminescent marker's activation and emission regions, delivering imaging clarity. The device is ideal for applications requiring nanoscale resolution, ...

Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) today is revolutionizing biological research by revealing the structure of cells and proteins with atomic resolution and steadily improving contrast. However, the quality of the results depends critically on the sample preparation. High Pressure Freezing (HPF) and plunge freezing, both pioneered in the 1960s, still represent the state-of-the-art in sample preparation for cryo-EM. Both methods have poor timing precision, disrupt the natural environment of the ...

A novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) method accelerates imaging by using localized, time-varying magnetic fields to enhance spatial encoding. This approach involves small coils placed around the imaging object, generating oscillating magnetic fields with adjustable frequencies and phases. These modulations provide additional spatial information, enabling faster image acquisition while maintaining high resolution and signal quality. The method integrates with parallel imaging techniques, reducing ...

The invention relates to a new light source exhibiting a high level of spatial incoherence. This enables microscopic imaging with reduced artefacts and low intensity noise. It comprises a pulsed laser whose beam properties are improved is by a multimode optical fiber.
Full field microscopic imaging is an essential technique in medicine and beyond, but the occurrence of noise strongly limits its applicability. Coherent light contributes considerably to the formation of artefacts. Hence the ...

This invention presents a series of photoactivatable fluorescent dyes characterized by their hydrophilic caging groups. These novel compounds are primarily designed for bioimaging applications, allow for controlled photoactivation at the desired wavelengths and exhibit enhanced solubility in aqueous environments. The technology facilitates high-precision imaging techniques, including super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and single-molecule tracking, by enabling precise spatial and temporal ...

This invention presents a novel, interferometry-based method for detecting angular changes in light beams with extremely high sensitivity and robustness. Developed for high-precision microscopy, it enables stable and long-term beam alignment by measuring even minute directional deviations that can occur due to environmental fluctuations such as temperature changes. The technique splits the incoming light beam into two paths that interfere with one another on a camera sensor, generating an interference ...

The invention relates to a newly developed image processing method for optical coherence tomography (OCT) to be used in particular on the (human) eye’s anterior chamber. Said OCT images are used to diagnose glaucoma, but the required assessing methods are not yet available as automated and fully unsupervised.

Glaucoma is the main reason for irreversible blindness. Early-stage diagnosis is typically based on images of the anterior chamber. Various automated techniques for image analysis ...

Two groundbreaking technologies are introduced, offering substantial enhancements to the precision and efficiency of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) by auto-calibrating spin phase information directly from imaging data.
The first invention presents a method to extract spin phase evolution maps – arising from arbitrary spatial encoding fields that continuously oscillate and evolve during signal acquisition – using existing imaging data without the need for additional field mapping scans. ...