Dynamic brain spectrum acquired by a real-time ultraspectral imaging chip with reconfigurable metasurfaces

Spectral imaging paves the way for various fields, particularly in biomedical research. However, spectral imaging, mainly depending on spatial or temporal scanning, cannot achieve high temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution simultaneously. In this study, we demonstrated a silicon real-time ultraspectral imaging chip based on reconfigurable metasurfaces, comprising 155,216 (356 x 436) image-adaptive microspectrometers with ultra-high center-wavelength accuracy of 0.04nmand spectral resolution of 0.8 nm. It is employed for imaging brain hemodynamics, and the dynamic spectral absorption properties of deoxyhemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin in a rat barrel cortex were obtained, which enlighten spectroscopy in vivo studies and other real-time applications. (C) 2022 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

Spectral imaging plays an important role in various fields, especially in biomedical research. However, current spectral imaging techniques cannot achieve high temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution simultaneously. In this study, a silicon real-time ultraspectral imaging chip based on reconfigurable metasurfaces was developed, which offers high accuracy and resolution. Imaging of brain hemodynamics and the absorption properties of hemoglobin in a rat barrel cortex were successfully obtained, providing insights for in vivo spectroscopy studies and real-time applications.