Abstract: A SIngle-frame LAbel-free Cell Tomography (SILACT) system and methods are provided to reconstruct 3D Refractive Index (RI) distribution of cells at over 10,000 volumes/second while resolving subcellular compartments without fluorescence labelling. The SILACT includes a high-speed interference microscope with multiplex illumination and a fast reconstruction method utilizing a pre-trained physics-incorporating Deep Neural Network (DNN). With SILACT, it is demonstrated that 3D imaging cytometry at a throughput of over 20,000 cells/second can be achieved, and transient dynamics of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) undergoing shear-induced 3D deformation inside a microfluidic channel can be observed.

Abstract: Our high phase sensitivity wide-field phase cancellation interferometry system allows single-shot, label-free optical sensing of neural action potentials via imaging of optical path length changes. Single-shot sensing and monitoring of single neurons within a neural network should lead to a more comprehensive understanding neural network processing, which is beneficial for the advancement in the field of neuroscience as well as its biomedical applications and impact. Our system cancels the phase profile of the resting neuron from the phase profile of the spiking neuron, improving the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude. Using a detector with an extremely large well depth and an appropriately biased interferometer increases the sensitivity by another order of magnitude, yielding a measurement that is three orders of magnitude more sensitive than those possible with other microscopes.

Abstract: Our high phase sensitivity wide-field phase cancellation interferometry system allows single-shot, label-free optical sensing of neural action potentials via imaging of optical path length changes. Single-shot sensing and monitoring of single neurons within a neural network should lead to a more comprehensive understanding neural network processing, which is beneficial for the advancement in the field of neuroscience as well as its biomedical applications and impact. Our system cancels the phase profile of the resting neuron from the phase profile of the spiking neuron, improving the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude. Using a detector with an extremely large well depth and an appropriately biased interferometer increases the sensitivity by another order of magnitude, yielding a measurement that is three orders of magnitude more sensitive than those possible with other microscopes.

Abstract: Refractive index of biological specimens is a source of intrinsic contrast that can be explored without any concerns of photobleaching or harmful effects caused by extra contrast agents. This feature also contains rich information that can be related to the metabolism of cells at the cellular and subcellular levels. The present invention relates to systems and methods that can provide, without any moving parts, the 3-D refractive index map of continuously flowing biological samples in a micro-fluidic channel, for example.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a full-field reflection phase microscope. In a preferred embodiment, the invention can combine low-coherence interferometry and off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM). The reflection-based DHM provides highly sensitive and a single-shot imaging of cellular dynamics while the use of low coherence source provides a depth-selective measurement. A preferred embodiment of the system uses a diffraction grating in the reference arm to generate an interference image of uniform contrast over the entire field-of-view albeit low-coherence light source. With improved path-length sensitivity, the present invention is suitable for full-field measurement of membrane dynamics in live cells with sub-nanometer-scale sensitivity.

Abstract: Systems and methods of self-referenced quantitative phase microscopy (SrQPM). The SrQPM systems and methods provide single-shot, full-field imaging capability for increased imaging speed, and near-common-path geometry for increased phase stability, allowing the study of internal structures of biological cells, live cell dynamics, and the like.

Abstract: Systems and methods of self-referenced quantitative phase microscopy (SrQPM). The SrQPM systems and methods provide single-shot, full-field imaging capability for increased imaging speed, and near-common-path geometry for increased phase stability, allowing the study of internal structures of biological cells, live cell dynamics, and the like.

Abstract: An optical phase processing system for a scattering medium. A first beam has a direction and a wavefront and the first beam is configured to enter a holographic recording medium. A scattering medium is illuminated by a signal beam generating at least one scattered beam. An interference pattern is recorded from the at least one scattered beam and the first beam. A second beam is generated in a direction opposite to the direction of the first beam, the second beam having a wavefront and a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the wavefront of the first beam, and the second beam is configured to enter the holographic recording medium. The second beam and the interference pattern interact to generate at least one reconstructed beam having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the at least one scattered beam, and the at least one reconstructed beam is configured to be viewable through the scattering medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a full-field reflection phase microscope. In a preferred embodiment, the invention can combine low-coherence interferometry and off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM). The reflection-based DHM provides highly sensitive and a single-shot imaging of cellular dynamics while the use of low coherence source provides a depth-selective measurement. A preferred embodiment of the system uses a diffraction grating in the reference arm to generate an interference image of uniform contrast over the entire field-of-view albeit low-coherence light source. With improved path-length sensitivity, the present invention is suitable for full-field measurement of membrane dynamics in live cells with sub-nanometer-scale sensitivity.

Abstract: An optical phase processing system for a scattering medium. A first beam has a direction and a wavefront and the first beam is configured to enter a holographic recording medium. A scattering medium is illuminated by a signal beam generating at least one scattered beam. An interference pattern is recorded from the at least one scattered beam and the first beam. A second beam is generated in a direction opposite to the direction of the first beam, the second beam having a wavefront and a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the wavefront of the first beam, and the second beam is configured to enter the holographic recording medium. The second beam and the interference pattern interact to generate at least one reconstructed beam having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the at least one scattered beam, and the at least one reconstructed beam is configured to be viewable through the scattering medium.

Abstract: A method and device realize shallow gratings-based planar beam splitter/combiner. Non-trivial phase shifts between different ports of resulting interferometers are used to acquire full-field phase measurements. The non-trivial phase shifts between different ports of the planar beam splitter/combiner can be adjusted by simply shearing one grating with respect to the second grating. The two shallow diffraction gratings are harmonically-related and can be recorded on a single substrate for compact interferometric based schemes. During the recording process, the two gratings are aligned such that the grating planes and the grating vectors are parallel to that of each other. The relative phase of the recording beams controls the shearing between the recorded harmonically-related shallow phase gratings. The relative shearing of the two gratings defines the non-trivial phase shift between different ports of the compact planar beam splitter/combiner.

Abstract: An optical phase processing system for a scattering medium. A first beam has a direction and a wavefront and the first beam is configured to enter a holographic recording medium. A scattering medium is illuminated by a signal beam generating at least one scattered beam. An interference pattern is recorded from the at least one scattered beam and the first beam. A second beam is generated in a direction opposite to the direction of the first beam, the second beam having a wavefront and a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the wavefront of the first beam, and the second beam is configured to enter the holographic recording medium. The second beam and the interference pattern interact to generate at least one reconstructed beam having a phase substantially opposite to a phase of the at least one scattered beam, and the at least one reconstructed beam is configured to be viewable through the scattering medium.

Abstract: A method and device realize shallow gratings-based planar beam splitter/combiner. Non-trivial phase shifts between different ports of resulting interferometers are used to acquire full-field phase measurements. The non-trivial phase shifts between different ports of the planar beam splitter/combiner can be adjusted by simply shearing one grating with respect to the second grating. The two shallow diffraction gratings are harmonically-related and can be recorded on a single substrate for compact interferometric based schemes. During the recording process, the two gratings are aligned such that the grating planes and the grating vectors are parallel to that of each other. The relative phase of the recording beams controls the shearing between the recorded harmonically-related shallow phase gratings. The relative shearing of the two gratings defines the non-trivial phase shift between different ports of the compact planar beam splitter/combiner.

Abstract: Optical coherence microscope (OCM) systems and methods that combine the capability of a confocal microscope to obtain high resolution images and the ability of low coherence interferometer (LCI) to obtain high-accuracy phase and amplitude information of samples. The OCM system of the present invention uses a homodyne approach and obtains complete quadrature results of amplitude and phase instantaneously without optical or electronic modulation as in conventional OCT systems. Because the OCM methods of the present invention use a homodyne approach for signal extraction, there is no minimum pixel dwell time associated with each pixel acquisition, and accurate interference phase and amplitude information is extracted.