Central nervous system diseases start at the microscopic level; thus, in vivo deep brain imaging with cellular resolution is needed. Using the 1700 nm optical window, which has lowest ballistic attenuation for brain imaging, an optical coherence microscopy system was designed for in vivo imaging of mouse brain cellular architecture. Taking advantage of relatively low scattering at 1700 nm, neuronal cell bodies in the mouse brain were visualized through a thinned skull preparation, which minimizes inflammation and preserves intracranial pressure. Cellular architecture was co-registered with simultaneous angiographic imaging, showing the distribution of neuronal cell bodies relative to supplying capillaries.
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