Tokyo team reports 3D chemical cell imaging at 19.2 volumes per second
University of Tokyo researchers report a microscopy method capable of reconstructing 19.2 three-dimensional chemical images per second. Their study, published in Nature Communications on 30 October 2026, describes laboratory observations of living cells.
The method combines mid-infrared excitation with optical tomography. It uses optical changes caused by infrared absorption to reconstruct the distribution of cellular components without fluorescent labels.
The authors tracked lipid droplets moving in three-dimensional space. They say the system is suited to single cells and thin biological specimens rather than deep-tissue imaging.
These are the team's reported results from its experimental apparatus. The university announcement and scientific paper describe the same research; they are not two independent replications. Diagnostic effectiveness or medical use in patients has not been established.