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Updated: Apr 4, 2026

A Time-lapse, Label-free, Quantitative Phase Imaging Study of Dormant and Active Human Cancer Cells

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Dynamic phase differences based on quantitative phase imaging for the objective evaluation of cell behavior.

Aneta Krizova¹, Jana Collakova¹, Zbynek Dostal¹

¹Brno University of Technology, Institute of Physical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technicka 2896/2, Brno 61600, Czech RepublicbBrno University of Technology, CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, Brno 61600.

Journal of Biomedical Optics

|September 6, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) offers new insights into live cell dynamics. The dynamic phase differences (DPDs) method quantifies cell mass changes, revealing subtle behaviors previously undetected.

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Area of Science:

Cell biology
Biophysics
Microscopy

Background:

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) enables noninvasive observation of live cell dynamics.
QPI provides quantitative data on cell dry mass distribution, unlike traditional phase contrast or DIC methods.
Objective evaluation of cell behavior requires advanced analytical techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and validate the dynamic phase differences (DPDs) method for analyzing live cell behavior using QPI data.
To demonstrate the DPDs method's capability in detecting subtle changes in cell mass distribution over time.
To showcase the application of DPDs in observing cellular responses to external stimuli.

Main Methods:

Utilized quantitative phase imaging (QPI) for time-lapse acquisition of live cell images.
Developed and applied the dynamic phase differences (DPDs) method, involving image subtraction to highlight mass distribution changes.
Employed a coherence-controlled holographic microscope for high-resolution QPI.
Quantified changes in cell mass distribution in picograms and visualized them as 2D projections.

Main Results:

The DPDs method successfully revealed dynamic changes in cell mass distribution that are not apparent with conventional methods.
Observed and quantified picogram-level mass alterations within cells during time-lapse recordings.
Demonstrated the utility of DPDs in analyzing cellular responses, exemplified by cells undergoing an osmotic challenge.

Conclusions:

The DPDs method, powered by QPI, offers a robust approach for objective and quantitative analysis of live cell dynamics.
DPDs can uncover novel features of cell behavior by tracking intricate changes in mass distribution.
This technique holds promise for advancing our understanding of cellular processes and responses.