Reflective interferometric chamber for quantitative phase imaging of biological sample dynamics

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Microscopy

Background:

• Dynamic biological samples require advanced imaging techniques for real-time observation.
• Conventional interferometric methods often face limitations with highly dynamic specimens due to noise and complexity.
• Holographic phase imaging offers label-free contrast but can be sensitive to environmental disturbances.

Discussion:

• The novel setup utilizes a reflective interferometric chamber (InCh) to generate off-axis interferograms.
• This design simplifies the optical path, eliminating the need for additional components like gratings.
• The close-to-common-path geometry significantly minimizes phase noise, enhancing stability.

Key Insights:

• The InCh-based system achieves single-exposure wide-field holographic phase imaging.
• Demonstrated superior phase stability in ambient conditions compared to conventional interferometers.
• Successfully imaged dynamic biological samples, including beating myocardial cells and moving microorganisms.

Outlook:

• Potential for label-free, high-resolution imaging of cellular dynamics.
• Applications in live-cell imaging and understanding biological processes.
• Further development could extend to other fields requiring sensitive phase measurements.