Key facts
- The Airscope weighs 1 gram and enables cortex-wide neural activity tracking.
- It can monitor over 8,500 neurons simultaneously across 14 brain regions.
- The device uses a 6mm field of view with single-cell resolution.
- It supports simultaneous recording in up to five mice.
- The technology is designed to minimize impact on natural animal behavior.
Chinese scientists from Tsinghua University and the Chinese PLA Medical School have developed the Airscope, a 1-gram wireless mesoscope designed to monitor brain activity in freely moving laboratory animals. Published in Nature on October 19, 2026, the device offers a 6mm field of view with single-cell resolution, capable of tracking over 8,500 neurons across 14 brain regions simultaneously. This lightweight, untethered system aims to overcome the limitations of traditional head-fixed or wired setups, enabling researchers to study complex behaviors and their underlying neural mechanisms with minimal disruption to the animals. The Airscope integrates advanced optics, on-chip data compression, and a modular design, with a total effective payload of approximately 2.7 grams including the battery, which can be swapped in two seconds for over 20 minutes of continuous recording.