Latest news with #brainimaging
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
World's first sound-powered microscope sees 5x deeper into brain without altering cells
For decades, scientists have pushed the limits of microscopy to capture sharper and deeper views of the brain. Traditional light-based systems can map the cortex in detail but struggle to reach deeper regions like the hippocampus without losing resolution. The challenge is even greater when imaging molecular activity inside single cells, which is an essential step in understanding brain function and diseases. MIT scientists and engineers have now built a microscope that overcomes this barrier by combining ultrafast light pulses with sound detection. The system can image at depths more than five times greater than existing methods without using dyes, chemicals, or genetic modification. Researchers believe it could transform neuroscience research and surgical applications. Seeing deeper into the brain The study shows the system can detect NAD(P)H, a molecule linked to cell metabolism and neuronal activity, through dense brain samples. Tests included a 1.1 millimetre thick human stem cell-derived cerebral organoid and a 0.7 millimetre slice of mouse brain tissue. 'That's when we hit the glass on the other side,' said W. David Lee, the postdoctoral researcher who designed the system, explaining that the samples were not large enough to push the technology's true limits. The device uses a three-photon excitation method, firing ultrashort light bursts at triple the molecule's normal absorption wavelength. These longer wavelengths scatter less and penetrate deeper into tissue. Most of the absorbed energy creates a rapid, microscopic thermal expansion inside the cell, generating sound waves. A sensitive ultrasound microphone detects these waves, and software turns them into sharp images. This process is called three-photon photoacoustic imaging. Merging advanced imaging techniques The team combined three-photon excitation, photoacoustic detection, and label-free imaging into a platform they call 'Multiphoton-In and Acoustic-Out.' This setup allows precise molecular detection without altering the tissue. The system can also identify other molecules, such as GCaMP, a calcium indicator used to track neural activity. Additionally, 'third-harmonic generation' imaging maps cellular structures, giving structural and molecular detail in the same scan. Co-lead author Tatsuya Osaki from The Picower Institute said the aim was to combine advanced techniques into one efficient process. This capability could help study conditions where NAD(P)H levels change, including Alzheimer's disease, Rett syndrome, and seizures. Because it works without labels, it could also guide brain surgeries by mapping activity in real time. The next goal is to test the system in living animals. In this case, both the light source and microphone will need to be on the same side of the tissue instead of opposite sides. Lee expects the system could image up to 2 millimetres deep in live brains. 'In principle it should work,' he said. Lee's earlier work through Precision Healing Inc. showed that NAD(P)H imaging can guide wound treatment. Now, the same approach may prove valuable for neurosurgery and brain research. The project was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Simon Center for the Social Brain, The Picower Institute, and other sources. The study is published in the journal Light: Science and Applications. Solve the daily Crossword
Associated Press
04-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hyperfine Achieves Clinical Milestone Ahead of Plan With 100th Patient Enrolled in Neurology Office Study Using the Next-Generation Swoop® System
GUILFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 4, 2025-- Hyperfine, Inc. (Nasdaq: HYPR), the groundbreaking health technology company that has redefined brain imaging with the first FDA-cleared AI-powered portable MRI system for the brain—the Swoop® system— today announced the successful enrollment of 100 patients in its NEURO PMR (Neurological Evaluation in the Office with Portable MRI) study just 16 weeks after the study initiation, announced on April 15, 2025. This milestone reflects strong clinician enthusiasm for accessible, point-of-care brain imaging and supports Hyperfine's market expansion into outpatient neurology offices. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: The NEURO PMR study, being conducted at DENT Neurologic Institute and Texas Neurology, is the first multi-center, prospective observational study comparing portable ultra-low-field MRI with conventional high-field MRI in neurology office settings. All patients enrolled in the study have been scanned on the next-generation Swoop® system powered by OptiveAI™ software, with results expected to be announced in early 2026. Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, Chief Medical Officer at DENT Neurologic Institute and the study's Principal Investigator, stated, 'The next-generation Swoop® system delivers impressive image quality with a simplified clinic workflow and comfortable patient experience. The promise of this technology is that it puts brain imaging back into the hands of neurologists—by providing an affordable, easy-to-operate portable MRI system that fits seamlessly into a clinic setting without expensive siting costs.' This milestone supports Hyperfine's commercial launch in the neurology office market, following the successful conclusion of its office pilot program. In the pilot, early neurology practices acquired and implemented Swoop® systems in their clinic, completed IAC accreditation, and obtained reimbursement from CMS and private insurers. To drive commercial adoption, Hyperfine has also entered into a strategic partnership with NeuroNet Pro, the largest U.S. association of independent neurology practices, to bring greater awareness and practice support for their portable MRI technology. 'Neurologists typically order between 500 and 600 brain MRIs each year, yet only 5% of private neurology offices have in-house imaging,' said Maria Sainz, President and CEO of Hyperfine. 'Our next-generation Swoop® system delivers an exciting opportunity for independent practices—expanding access to advanced imaging, boosting clinic efficiency, and elevating the level of patient care.' For more information about the Swoop® system and Optive AI™ software, please visit The Hyperfine logo, Swoop, and Portable MR Imaging are registered trademarks of Hyperfine, Inc. The Swoop logo, Optive AI logo, and Optive AI are trademarks of Hyperfine, Inc. View source version on CONTACT: Media Contact Devin Zell Hyperfine [email protected] Contact Webb Campbell Gilmartin Group LLC [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CONNECTICUT INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FDA HEALTH TECHNOLOGY DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY RADIOLOGY MANAGED CARE GENERAL HEALTH MEDICAL DEVICES NEUROLOGY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CLINICAL TRIALS SCIENCE SOFTWARE HEALTH RESEARCH SOURCE: Hyperfine, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 08/04/2025 08:15 AM/DISC: 08/04/2025 08:14 AM
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Health
- The Australian
Study backs Alterity tool for tracking MSA
Special Report: Alterity Therapeutics has unveiled promising new research showing its novel brain imaging tool could play a key role in diagnosing and tracking Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a rare and aggressive neurodegenerative disease. Quality peer-reviewed publication highlights use of Alterity's MSA Atrophy Index developed to diagnose and track MSA disease progression Tool helps pinpoint changes in brain over time, making it easier to detect disease progression and assess treatments MSA Atrophy Index developed as part of Alterity's bioMUSE natural history study with Vanderbilt University Medical Center The peer-reviewed study, published in peer-reviewed journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, highlights a new MRI-based measure called the MSA Atrophy Index (MSA-AI) – developed as part of Alterity Therapeutics' (ASX:ATH) bioMUSE natural history study. Using artificial intelligence (AI), the tool helps pinpoint changes in the brain over time, making it easier to detect disease progression and assess how well treatments are working. MSA-AI offers a standardised way to measure brain shrinkage in regions affected by the disease, regardless of the subtype. This makes it a useful tool for both diagnosing patients earlier and improving how clinical trial participants are selected. The study combined data from both early-stage and more advanced MSA patients, capturing a wide range of disease severity. The approach has helped researchers confirm that the MSA-AI could reliably track changes in brain volume over time and differentiate MSA from other similar neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. Importantly, lower MSA-AI scores were linked to more severe symptoms and greater disease progression over 12 months, highlighting the tool's potential value in future clinical trials and patient care. About the bioMUSE study Titled Biomarkers of Progression in Multiple System Atrophy (bioMUSE), the natural history study tracks the progression of individuals with MSA, a Parkinsonian disorder without an approved therapy. The study was conducted in collaboration with Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the US under the direction of Daniel Claassen M.D, M.S, professor of neurology and principal investigator. Alterity noted that natural history studies were important for characterising disease progression in selected patient populations. Insights into early-stage MSA The company said the study had provided rich data for optimising the design of its randomised ATH434-201 phase II clinical trial and had enrolled ~20 individuals with clinically probable or clinically established MSA. The bioMUSE study continues to provide critical insights into early-stage MSA, helping select biomarkers and track disease progression in patients like those in its phase II trial. 'This research used state-of-the-art technology employed in the bioMUSE study that goes above and beyond traditional MRI methods for assessing brain volume in patients with MSA,' Alterity's US-based CEO Dr David Stamler said. 'Based on the creativity and technical skill of our colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, we now have superior tools for diagnosing MSA and tracking brain atrophy over time. 'Importantly, we observed that statistically significant reductions in brain volume over 12 months correlated with clinical worsening of the disease.' Stamler said the results underscore importance of using advanced neuroimaging methods and analytical tools in evaluating MSA, which Alterity implemented in its phase II clinical program. 'While previous MRI studies have reported brain volume reductions in MSA-affected brain regions, tracking these changes reliably has been challenging,' he said. Stamler said development of the MSA Atrophy Index can enhance the understanding of MSA progression and provide support for using brain atrophy markers for evaluation of disease-modifying therapies. 'These tools offer potential applications in diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of disease severity, contributing to more personalised care in MSA,' he said. 'We look forward to leveraging this invaluable technology for patient selection and disease progression in our phase III clinical trial.' This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
Medscape
10-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Portable Ultrasound Helmet Scans Brain While You Walk
The skull is so effective at protecting the brain that it has impeded the progress of neuroscience. In particular: A nice, thick skull poses challenges for imaging the brain in natural environments or while a person is moving. Meanwhile, with the recent advent of ultrafast ultrasound, the possibility of studying and monitoring real-time microvascular brain activity poses a novel opportunity for neuroscientists, from better understanding dementia to increased accuracy during neurosurgery to revolutionizing treatment for comatose patients. Now, a team of Dutch researchers has shown that a mobile ultrafast ultrasound scanner — functional ultrasound imaging (fUSi) — affixed inside a three-dimensional printed helmet can image brain activity in a patient pushing a cart while walking and performing everyday tasks in an everyday environment (it was not wireless — they used a 100-m-long extension cord). 'We've basically shown that functional ultrasound imaging is a technique that can be a high-resolution mobile brain scanner for the research side, and if you're looking from a medical side, I would say that now the brain is not a black box anymore,' said Sadaf Soloukey, MD, PhD, neurosurgical resident at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and lead author of the paper published recently in Science Advances . 'We now with ultrasound have the possibility to see directly in real time inside the brain.' How They Made It Work The study involved two patients with artificial skull implants and included sensory, motor, and multitasking experiments generating reproducible data over 21 months. One of the patients died partway through the study due to tumor regrowth, despite being tumor progression-free for multiple years. Both patients had PEEK implants; the second patient's implant was placed following a high-velocity trauma. The skull implants are key for the acoustic requirements of ultrasound. That's less limiting than one may think because these are the patients researchers want to study anyway, said Charles Liu, MD, PhD, a professor of neurological surgery and director of the University of Southern California Neurorestoration Center in Los Angeles. 'They're a natural patient population,' said Liu, who wasn't involved in the study but published a 2024 paper in Science Translational Medicine that also used fUSi to visualize brain activity during video game and guitar playing by an individual with a skull implant. Liu recalled that when the researcher Mickael Tanter, PhD, and his team in France first published on the topic of ultrafast ultrasound, people were skeptical. The potential for fUSi is apparent 'when another group publishes something that essentially corroborates what you said in relatively short order in another big journal,' Liu said. Why Ultrafast Ultrasound Is so Promising One reason: Ultrafast ultrasound can record 10,000 frames per second. 'That allows you to separate the tiny blood flow in the brain from the motion of the brain,' explained Pieter Kruizinga, PhD, an imaging physicist and co-author of the Science Advances paper. 'The tiny blood flow in the small vessels is responsible for neurovascular coupling, so you really need this ultrasound on steroids. It's the workhorse in our lab to look at brain perfusion, basically. And the frequencies we use, they don't penetrate through the skull. Why you see a child in a womb so nicely is because you have this water, and then it hits the skull, and you get all these nice signals from it. But to penetrate through the skull is very difficult.' Pieter Kruizinga, PhD Liu noted that there is some early research examining ways to overcome the skull challenge, such as some coming out of the French lab led by Tanter using nanobubbles as a contrast agent. New fUSi technology would also be ideal for working with people who have implanted neuromodulation devices such as deep brain stimulators, Liu said. His own upcoming research involves imaging the spinal cord during the filling and emptying of the human bladder. Charles Liu, MD, PhD Brain surgery applications of fUSi are also on the horizon. Presurgical functional MRI (fMRI) is usually used as a map by neurosurgeons heading into surgery, and once underway, they move to relying on cortical stimulation to make decisions. During surgery, the fMRI map is often 'no longer relevant because things shift; the brain can swell out or drop in, and even as your surgery is progressing, things can move. Sometimes when I'm taking out a tumor, different parts might collapse,' said Richard G. Everson, MD, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at UCLA. 'Having a portable, repeatable system that we can operate in a handheld manner like an ultrasound would be a really great instrument to have. I think the writing is on the wall that this will and can work, but it's certainly not at any sort of level of being clinically ready.' Richard G. Everson, MD Everson's team has already been using fUSi outside of the operating room to evaluate patients who have had surgery to remove part of the skull for a variety of reasons. Also Needed: More Processing Speed The next key steps for fUSi to come to the operating room are for data processing technology to allow for real-time information and benchmarking, he said, because 'if it takes an hour to analyze the data, that's no good because the surgery's already over.' Following brain surgery, there are limited techniques to monitor what's happening in the brain. 'So we have, unfortunately, a lot of patients in the ICU after trauma that are waiting often to show whether or not they will wake up,' Soloukey said, and many of them have had a hemicraniectomy like the main patient in her team's study. Sadaf Soloukey, MD, PhD In 2020, her team published a paper demonstrating the use of fUSi during awake brain surgery. Future research could examine 'If there are some functional networks that are, let's say, a good signature of someone waking up with a coma, then it might be easier not only to monitor their progress but to predict how they might wake up,' Soloukey said. 'And this is, of course, something that's very, very difficult. It's a sensitive topic. I know that the US and Europe also think differently about these subjects. But I think it starts with understanding what happens in a coma and trying to make good tools that can predict a patient's outcome. Functional ultrasound is a great bedside tool for that in the ICU context — because it could be bedside.'
News.com.au
02-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Compumedics' dual-helmet brain tech hits a nerve in China's neuroscience boom
China Brain Project rolls out neuro-AI push Compumedics dual-helmet MEG lights up Tianjin labs ASX health stocks surge deeper into China A few years back, China kicked off what might be one of the most ambitious science missions you've never heard of: the China Brain Project. This is a full-scale national effort to figure out how the brain works, fix what goes wrong when it doesn't, and use all that insight to build the next generation of artificial intelligence. Launched in September 2021, the project strings together 59 headline studies, backed by about RMB 3.2 billion ($680 million) under a framework cheerfully called 'one body, two wings.' The 'body' focuses on fundamental neuroscience, how we learn, think, feel and remember. One 'wing' tackles brain disorders like epilepsy, autism and dementia, aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment. The other 'wing' is all about brain-inspired tech: building machines that mimic how humans learn and adapt, rather than just crunching data the old-fashioned way. But to get from elegant theory to real-world breakthroughs, scientists need to see the brain in action. Not just its structure, but its split-second activity as thoughts, memories and decisions light up the neurons. That's where brain imaging comes in. MRI gives you high-res still shots of the brain's anatomy – useful, but static. MEG, or magnetoencephalography, is the opposite: it captures the brain in motion, recording real-time electrical activity down to the millisecond. MEG listens to the brain's own magnetic murmurs, but legacy systems come with two big drawbacks. One-size-fits-adults helmets leave a child's head rattling around like a pea in a tin, so the sensors sit too far from the brain and the signal fizzles. Even worse, most MEG systems burn through liquid helium to keep the sensors cold. And when that coolant runs low, the whole scanner has to shut down until a refill arrives, usually in the form of a specialised delivery, which isn't always quick or easy. China's new brain labs wanted something nimbler. Enter an Australian outsider. Compumedics lands world-first dual-helmet MEG Compumedics (ASX:CMP), a med-tech company based in Melbourne, spent nearly ten years developing a new kind of MEG system with its research partners at Korea's KRISS institute. The result is the Orion LifeSpan, a scanner that holds two helmets, one for adults and one for children, inside a single cooling chamber (called a dewar). It uses advanced, patented sensors known as DROS-SQUIDs to pick up the brain's magnetic signals with high precision. Unlike older systems that need constant helium refills, Orion recycles almost all its coolant, so it can keep running around the clock without shutting down. It also has a 'hyperscanning' mode, which can record the brain activity of two people at the same time. That's useful, for example, if you're studying how a child's brain interacts with their parent's during a shared task. Tianjin Normal University (TJNU) secured the first Orion in late 2024. After months of tests, the university gave formal acceptance and called it the most advanced MEG lab on the planet. 'The Orion LifeSpan MEG recently installed by Compumedics at TJNU has been a revolution in our ability to study mental processes of both children and adults, or even the two simultaneously," said Vice-President Professor Xuejun Bai. 'The system has already proven itself to be extremely sensitive, accurate and reliable.' TJNU researchers sat a four-year-old under the Orion LifeSpan MEG and fed 200 quick tones into one ear, while the scanner captured her brain's magnetic response. With the paediatric helmet snug to her scalp, the auditory peaks popped up about 90 milliseconds after each beep – clear, high-amplitude waveforms that lit the display like a studio-grade equaliser. Then the team simply rotated Orion's dual-helmet dewar to bring the adult dome into place, and ran the exact same test. This time the signals barely rose above the noise floor; the larger helmet kept the sensors centimetres farther from her brain, and most of the field strength bled away before it reached the coils. That side by side comparison, all on a single machine, delivered what Compumedics later called 'the first time a single MEG system had given high-quality scans for both children and adults.' Compumedics has proven that shortening the brain-to-sensor gap and boosting the signal-to-noise ratio can unlock the precision that paediatric neurology has long been waiting for. China's brain labs line up The TJNU showcase set off a modest domino run. Tsinghua University signed on, a second Tianjin facility followed, and Hangzhou Normal University ordered its own Orion LifeSpan package. The four contracts total roughly $20 million, with Hangzhou's unit slated for delivery in early 2026. Compumedics isn't claiming to own the market; it's simply first out of the blocks. MEG scanners are still rare in China compared with the country's vast MRI fleet, and Orion's dual-helmet design halves both the hardware bill and the room it needs, exactly the kind of maths provincial governments like as they race to build new neuroscience centres. None of it turns Compumedics into a household name overnight, but it does explain why four Chinese universities have already signed purchase orders. And as the China Brain Project accelerates, the real-time windows provided by MEG are likely to move from niche to mainstream. China becomes launchpad for ASX health plays With its sheer scale, ageing population and a government rolling out the red carpet for cutting-edge medical tech, China has become a proving ground that's increasingly hard for ASX health outfits to ignore. Compumedics isn't the only Aussie med-tech with serious skin in the China game. Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX), for instance, is running several China-based Phase III registration studies. The ZIRCON-CP trial of its kidney-cancer imaging agent TLX250-CDx is being conducted at Beijing Cancer Hospital and other leading oncology centres, in conjunction with strategic partner Grand Pharmaceutical Group. The first Chinese patient was dosed late-2024, and the study remains active in 2025. Cochlear (ASX:COH) continues its three-decade clinical presence in China. In June, the company launched its Nucleus Nexa smart implant within the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, a government-sanctioned hospital hub that fast-tracks novel devices and collects clinical evidence for mainland approval. EZZ Life Science (ASX:EZZ), meanwhile, has quietly pulled off one of the sharpest China plays on the ASX, turning a niche Aussie wellness brand into a breakout star. In FY24, revenue surged 79% to $66.4 million, with a clean $10.4 million in EBITDA and zero debt on the books. And 80% of that cash came straight out of Greater China, thanks to a killer e-commerce strategy across Douyin, Tmall, Kuaishou and O'Mall, where its anti-ageing pills and children growth chews have become chart-toppers. Parents in China can't get enough of EZZ's kids' range, and the company just dropped a fresh $21 million deal to push into Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. At Stockhead we tell it like it is. While Compumedics and EZZ Life Science are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article.
