Revolution in medicine: Duisburg researchers develop hyper microscope!

Revolution in medicine: Duisburg researchers develop hyper microscope!

On July 3, 2025, a significant advance in biomedical research was announced: The new “ComplexEye” microscope will be launched at the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) under the direction of Prof. Dr. Matthias Gunzer developed. This cutting-edge microscope has the potential to save lives by revolutionizing immune cell analysis.

Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with a total of 1.3 million euros, of which around 400,000 euros will go directly to the UDE, the “ComplexEye” will work at impressive speed. The system is said to be 96 times more efficient than conventional microscopes, which can only analyze four samples simultaneously. In contrast, “ComplexEye” will be able to capture up to 384 films from different samples simultaneously. This system is the result of twelve years of intensive preparatory work and teamwork, which includes electrical engineers from the UDE and scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Analytical Sciences (ISAS) in Dortmund.

Technological innovations and AI integration

The heart of the “ComplexEye” is a novel multi-lens system that is based on the biological principle of the compound eyes of insects. With the help of this technique, the motility of immune cells such as neutrophil granulocytes is monitored in detail. These immune cells are known for their dynamics, making precise analysis crucial for detecting disease.

In order to efficiently evaluate the huge amounts of image data, AI-supported software is integrated. This enables real-time tracking of immune cells without the need for powerful external computers. Instead, edge devices are used to carry out the time-consuming image analysis. These innovative technologies are particularly important for the early detection of diseases such as sepsis in intensive care units or for the development of new methods in cancer diagnostics.

Possible applications and significance for research

The applications of the “ComplexEye” are versatile. In addition to detecting sepsis, the microscope could also provide crucial insights into the motility of immune cells in the context of tumors, which is of great importance for cancer research. This efficiency is crucial to develop new therapeutic approaches and improve our understanding of immune diseases.

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in medical imaging, the progress of this microscope shows how AI can revolutionize diagnostics. AI technologies accelerate the analysis of image data and enable more efficient diagnoses. This is particularly relevant as biomedical research increasingly needs to consider large data sets and complex problems to make progress. According to medmedia, AI is already being used routinely in everyday clinical practice to significantly increase diagnostic accuracy.

Overall, the “ComplexEye” is a groundbreaking project that can not only advance research, but also have a direct impact on clinical practice. The deeper insight it offers into immune cell movement could be a game-changer in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.

For further information on the technical details and possible applications of the new microscope, we refer to the reporting by University of Duisburg-Essen, MedLabPortal as well as MedMedia.