Bringing optics inside: an implantable integrated platform for high resolution intravital imaging

We present a fully miniaturized implantable optical system for high-resolution intravital microscopy, enabling real-time monitoring of tissue responses to biomaterials with minimal invasiveness. The 5mm device integrates biocompatible microlenses with microscaffolds, functioning as an in-situ micro-objective for aberration-corrected deep-tissue imaging. Fabricated via a streamlined multi-photon polymerization process using SZ2080 photoresist, the device achieves precise alignment of optical and structural features within a single manufacturing workflow. To couple the imaging window with biomaterials, we developed LUCIA: a compact micrometric assembly platform featuring vacuum microhandling, synchronized optical-fiber glue delivery, and UV curing. LUCIA ensures reproducibility, structural integrity, and scaffold accessibility, while reducing complexity and cost. The system was validated in-vivo on chicken embryos using SHG microscopy to assess collagen deposition, and later implanted in murine models, confirming stability, imaging performance, and biocompatibility. This platform offers a scalable solution for longitudinal in-vivo studies of immune and fibrotic responses to implants.