Axially swept dithered light-sheet microscope to reveal cardiac morphology

Understanding cardiac microstructure and vascular networks in their entirety is critical for assessing cardiovascular development, disease progression, and therapeutic interventions. Light-sheet microscopy combined with tissue clearing enables high-resolution volumetric imaging of intact organs but faces limitations in trabeculated myocardium due to trade-offs among light-sheet thickness, effective range, and frame rate. We exploit temporal dynamics that govern illumination-detection interplay to maintain uniform resolution across specimens. Building on this, we implemented high-speed dithered light-sheet (DiLS) illumination, extending the confocal region by over 40% and enhancing the space-bandwidth product while preserving optical sectioning. Integration of DiLS with a sweeping approach establishes the axially swept dithered light-sheet (AS-DiLS), which enhances imaging throughput while preserving axial resolution and enables uniform illumination up to 12.5-millimeter range. AS-DiLS delivers near-isotropic resolution (~2.5 μm) for investigating intricate ventricular trabeculae, vasculature, and extracellular matrix, providing a scalable platform for comprehensive cardiovascular morphology and topology assessment from embryos to adults.

Volumetric imaging reveals microstructure and vascular networks in their entirety with near-isotropic resolution.