Functional ultrasound for high-resolution imaging of brain function and vasculature

We’re Iconeus – a Paris-based company, founded by the inventors of functional ultrasound, who have invented an easy-to-use functional ultrasound system for imaging cerebral blood flow and microvasculature. Its unique combination of sensitivity, speed and high resolution has enabled it to lead the field in preclinical studies on awake animals, and it is now being proposed for applications in clinical research too.

Iconeus Functional Ultrasound (fUS) preclinical imaging systems
Whole-brain functional ultrasound activation map acquired on Iconeus One following pulsed visual stimulation in an anesthetized mouse. Regions with significant activation (color scale) are superimposed on the pre-acquired brain vasculature (grey scale), showing increased blood flows in the visual cortices, lateral geniculate nuclei and superior colliculi.
Iconeus One: Plug-and-play functional ultrasound imaging​
Iconeus One: Plug-and-play functional ultrasound imaging​

Iconeus One: Plug-and-play functional ultrasound imaging

Iconeus One is a breakthrough in brain research, offering through the same revolutionary technology both high-end neuroimaging and outstanding hemodynamic mapping. As well as allowing brain activity in mice, rats and other small animals to be imaged quickly and easily, it is now starting to be used for clinical research in humans too. Iconeus One is:

How does fUS neuroimaging work?

Functional ultrasound uses multi-plane-wave ultrasound to generate 2D images of blood flows across the brain in a matter of seconds. This makes it possible to follow changes in neuronal activation over time (thanks to the neurovascular coupling), or to generate 3D images of the entire brain vasculature.

As well as allowing mobile animals to be imaged using our compact probes, functional ultrasound provides far greater spatial and temporal coverage than the restricted ‘snapshots’ possible with conventional ultrasound. It’s also inherently sensitive, allowing it to spot small changes in neuronal activation much more readily than fMRI.

Play Video Hear from our founder Mickael Tanter about the potential of functional ultrasound in this two-minute video.
Play Video

Hear from our founder Mickael Tanter about the potential of functional ultrasound in this two-minute video.

Applications of fUS brain imaging

Functional ultrasound has many applications in neuroscience, including in fundamental brain research, drug development, and investigations into neurodegenerative disorders and stroke (see our full list of publications for examples). But across all of these areas, there are five main ways in which fUS can be used: ​

Testimonials

It’s fair to say that our customers are pretty impressed by Iconeus One!

Our customers

In the years since Iconeus was founded, we’ve developed collaborations with over 30 companies and organizations around the world, who are keen to see what functional ultrasound could offer them (and we’re happy to say that all of them have loved it).

Our latest news & events

Join us in Rotterdam on 14 September for an ultrasound-focused symposium, featuring our co-founder Dr. Mickaël Tanter as guest speaker.
Iconeus is to contribute to a major project aiming to address challenges in childhood neurodevelopment, led by the Institut Robert-Debré du Cerveau de l’Enfant.
This June, two members of Iconeus are heading to Brisbane, to hear the Australian perspective on neuroscience research at Brain & Brain PET 2023.

Have a question about fUS imaging?

We’ve assembled a talented team here at our facilities in Paris: experts in neuroscience, ultrasound physics and software engineering work side-by-side to develop new product features, and to fine-tune the technology for emerging applications.

So whatever you’d like to talk about – from the finer points of determining resting-state functional connectivity to the approximate price for a tailored Iconeus One system – there’s bound to be someone who can help (and they’re probably sitting next to us!).