Volumetric Image of an Embryo

In OPN's December “Optics in 2024” review of interesting research, scientists from Switzerland and the United States have developed a real-time volumetric optoacoustic spectroscopy imaging platform for the noninvasive evaluation of changes in the murine embryonic heart during development. This video presents a rotating view of a volumetric image of an embryo at gestational day 16.5, highlighting the beating heart. The motion of all four heart chambers is clearly visible, along with detailed structural visualization of various organs, such as the placenta and umbilical cord, in addition to internal embryonic structures, including the abdominal region, brain vascular networks, and spinal cord. The volumetric data were captured using an 800-nm illumination wavelength at a frame rate of 25 Hz.