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Updated: May 18, 2026

Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope
Published on: April 7, 2014
Single-shot quantitative dispersion phase microscopy
Niyom Lue1, Jeon Woong Kang, Timothy R Hillman
1George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Abstract:
We present an imaging modality capable of providing high-speed optical dispersion measurements of live cells. The technique permits wide-field measurement of the optical phase shifts introduced by a sample for multiple discrete wavelengths in a single image capture. Utilizing spatial modulation and the wavelength dependence of the interference-fringe spacing, average refractive index as a function of wavelength is obtained, yielding optical dispersion measurements of the sample under observation. Because of its simple and low-cost design, the technique can be readily integrated into a standard microscope to collect additional diagnostic information about biological cells.
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