Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
Two-Dimensional Super-Resolution Visualization of Rat Brain Microvasculature Using Ultrasound Localization Microscopy
Published on: March 28, 2025
Three-dimensional microangiography of the mouse brain using super-resolution ultrasound and optoacoustic imaging with
Daniil Nozdriukhin1,2, Yi Chen1,2, Cristian Ciobanu1,2
1Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057 Switzerland.
Abstract:
High-resolution visualization of the mouse brain microvasculature is essential for advancing neurovascular research and understanding neurological disorders. Recent advances in pulse-echo ultrasound (US) and optoacoustic (OA) imaging enable angiographic imaging beyond the acoustic diffraction limit through localization of microbubbles in ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) and light-absorbing microparticles in localization optoacoustic tomography (LOT). Despite their distinct contrast mechanisms, a direct comparison has been lacking. Here, we evaluate three-dimensional motion-contrast US and OA imaging, including their super-resolved variants ULM and LOT, using the same ultrasound array, localization and tracking algorithms, and frame rates. Studies in mice of different ages reveal complementary strengths: OA/LOT offers higher-SNR for cortical imaging, especially in older animals with thicker skulls, while the lower attenuation of ultrasound enables US/ULM to achieve substantially greater penetration depth and whole-brain coverage. This comparison provides practical guidance for choosing optimal localization-based strategies for cerebrovascular studies.
