Quantitative imaging of complex samples by spiral phase contrast microscopy

Recently a spatial spiral phase filter in a Fourier plane of a microscopic imaging setup has been demonstrated to produce edge enhancement and relief-like shadow formation of amplitude and phase samples. Here we demonstrate that a sequence of at least 3 spatially filtered images, which are recorded with different rotational orientations of the spiral phase plate, can be used to obtain a quantitative reconstruction of both, amplitude and phase information of a complex microscopic sample, i.e. an object consisting of mixed absorptive and refractive components. The method is demonstrated using a calibrated phase sample, and an epithelial cheek cell. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.