3D micro-printing an ultrathin endoscope for imaging blood vessels

A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Adelaide (Australia) and the University of Stuttgart (Germany) has 3D micro-printed the world’s smallest imaging device for complex vascular imaging. The flexible, camera-like endoscope provides high quality images of the inside of blood vessels that the team hopes will aid scientists and potentially even clinicians to better understand the causes of heart attack. With better understanding of the causes of heart attack and heart disease progression, it is hoped that the 3D micro-printed endoscope could even lead to improved treatment and prevention strategies. Described in Light: Science & Applications, the collaborative...