A team of French scientists has developed a high speed imaging technique that provides them an unprecedented view of the chemical nature of biological samples. Not only does it provide an analysis of the chemical content, it also provides information about the orientation of the molecules detected. The newly available perspective of the molecular dynamics within cells and tissues may provide answers to how and why certain medical conditions occur, particularly neurodegenerative diseases, and may even end up being a diagnostic tool as well.
The technique, called high-speed polarization resolved coherent Raman scattering imaging, uses a laser that scans the sample rapidly at different polarizations. This provides the molecular orientation information at the detector, providing additional information on top of other Raman scattering imaging techniques.
“We took the concept of intensity modulation used for stimulated Raman scattering and transposed it to polarization modulation using an off-the-shelf device,” in a statement said of the researchers. “The signal detection for our technique is very similar to what is done with stimulated Raman scattering, except that instead of detecting only the intensity of the light, we detect polarization information that tells us if molecules are highly oriented or totally disorganized.”
The team tested the technology on lipid membranes, which resemble myelin sheaths surrounding axons, demonstrating its potential for the study of neurological diseases.
Study in journal Optica: High-speed polarization-resolved coherent Raman scattering imaging…
Via: Optical Society…