Axoft Fleuron WISE Polymer Debuts for High-Resolution Bio Imaging

US-based neurotechnology firm Axoft has launched the Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer. WISE stands for Water Invisible Soft Elastomer. It targets one job. That job is cutting optical distortion in high-resolution imaging of water-based biological samples.

WISE is an ultraviolet (UV)-curable material. Its refractive index matches water. That match makes the polymer effectively optically "invisible" when submerged. In practice, that means a sharper, clearer view of water-immersed specimens.

What the Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer offers

The Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer ships in two forms. The first is a liquid. Users can UV-cure it in many shapes. The second is sheets of set thickness. WISE can also be cast in moulds. That lets it form micron-scale structures.

Axoft said the versatility fits a wide range of imaging and micro-structured device workflows. The material is ultra-soft. It is also flexible, biocompatible, and impermeable to water.

WISE is also selectively permeable to oxygen (O₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). It works with harsh solvents. It also has ultra-low small-molecule sorption.

Le Floch on the design rationale

Axoft co-founder and CEO Dr Paul Le Floch framed the launch around water optics. Even a tiny refractive-index gap can degrade image quality.

Le Floch said: "We designed WISE for the most advanced imaging applications in biology, where even the slightest refractive-index mismatch can degrade image quality."

Le Floch then set out the target user base and the property stack.

Le Floch added: "For biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as research institutions building next-generation imaging platforms of living organisms and biological samples, or optimising optical interfaces in aqueous environments, WISE provides the optical clarity, softness, inertness, moldability and biocompatibility needed for sharp, high-resolution visualisation of biological samples."

Janelia collaboration and MRS Boston conference

Axoft built the Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer with the Shroff Lab at Janelia Research Campus. The Shroff Lab works on visible-light super-resolution imaging of cellular structures.

Axoft plans to share further findings on WISE at the Materials Research Society's autumn conference. That is set for Boston on 1 December.

Where WISE fits in the Fleuron portfolio and Axoft's BCI push

The Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer sits inside a wider Fleuron portfolio. Axoft launched that portfolio last year.

Fleuron already supports microfluidics and organ-on-chip systems. It also forms the base of Axoft's implantable brain-computer interface (IBCI) devices.

Axoft raised $55m in April 2026. The company planned to further develop its IBCIs with that round.

Why the Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer matters

Advanced live-cell imaging often runs in water. A polymer that vanishes optically in water cuts a common noise source. That helps super-resolution microscopy. It also helps organ-on-chip work. It aids any device that sits at a water optical interface.

For biopharma, medical device teams, and academic imaging labs, the Axoft Fleuron WISE polymer is a new tool in the kit. Coverage on Medigear.uk tracks Axoft's Fleuron rollout, MRS Boston update, and IBCI pipeline steps.

Source: Originating coverage based on Medical Device Network reporting by Salong Debbarma, August 26, 2026, on Axoft's launch of Fleuron Water Invisible Soft Elastomer (WISE). URL: https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/