MIT develops self-organizing laser beam for faster 3D brain imaging

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 23:16:00 +0200

Researchers at MIT have discovered that under specific conditions, normally chaotic laser light can spontaneously organize into a narrow, highly focused 'pencil beam.' This breakthrough allows for rapid 3D imaging of living tissue, including the human blood-brain barrier, at speeds approximately 25 times faster than traditional methods. The technique also enables real-time observation of how drugs enter brain cells, potentially accelerating the development of treatments for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and ALS. Achieving this effect requires precise alignment of the laser at a zero-degree angle and increasing its power until it interacts with the fiber glass, creating a self-stabilizing beam without complex optical engineering. Unlike conventional methods that produce blurred halos, this pencil beam maintains clarity and resolution while probing deeper tissue. Beyond the blood-brain barrier, the approach can track diverse compounds across engineered tissue models, offering