Dynamic Tomographic Phase Microscopy by Double Six-Pack Holography

Three-dimensional (3D) optical imaging of rapidly moving biological cells is difficult to achieve as such samples cannot be scanned over time. Here, we present a dynamic scan-free optical tomography approach for stain-free 3D imaging of biological cells using our new double six-pack tomography technique, whereby 12 off-axis holograms are captured in a single camera exposure without sacrificing resolution or field of view. The proposed system illuminates the sample from 12 angles simultaneously, and 3D refractive index (RI) tomograms are reconstructed from each recorded video frame of the dynamic sample. The technique is verified experimentally by recording flowing silica beads, 3 mu m in diameter, with the resulting tomogram RI accuracy being 98.5%. A live swimming sperm cell is also imaged, and dynamic 3D imaging results for both beads and sperm cell are presented. The proposed technique represents a 12-fold increase in dynamic holographic data for tomography.

Automated summary

The article presents a dynamic scan-free optical tomography approach for stain-free 3D imaging of biological cells. The technique uses a new double six-pack tomography technique to capture 12 off-axis holograms in a single camera exposure without sacrificing resolution or field of view. Experimental results show that the proposed technique achieves a RI accuracy of 98.5% for tomograms.