From Brain Function to Microvessels: Functional Ultrasound and Super-Resolution Vascular Imaging with Iconeus One
Functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging is redefining in vivo microvascular studies by enabling high-sensitivity measurements of cerebral blood flow at remarkable spatiotemporal resolution. Built on ultrafast plane-wave sonography, fUS offers real-time imaging at 100 × 100 × 400 µm spatial and 10 ms temporal resolution—allowing researchers to map hemodynamic changes across the whole brain, including in awake, behaving animals.
Complementing fUS, ultrasound localization microscopy (ULM) pushes beyond the diffraction limit by detecting and tracking microbubbles circulating in the vasculature. This super-resolution technique reconstructs detailed maps of vascular density, flow velocity, and microbubble signal amplitude at spatial resolutions down to 5–10 µm—opening new possibilities for studying microcirculation at capillary scale.
This presentation will explore how fUS and ULM together provide a powerful framework for investigating neurovascular function and microvascular architecture. Applications include task-evoked brain activation, dynamic functional connectivity mapping, and in vivo angiography. We will also discuss ongoing advances such as volumetric (3D) imaging and the use of ULM to visualize functional hyperemia and microvascular remodeling with unprecedented detail.
These technologies offer unique opportunities to bridge functional imaging and microcirculation research, enabling multi-scale insight into cerebrovascular physiology, disease models, and therapeutic response. All examples will be illustrated using the Iconeus One system, a dedicated platform for fUS and ULM imaging in preclinical research.
