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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Quantifying Cytoskeleton Dynamics Using Differential Dynamic Microscopy

Quantifying Cytoskeleton Dynamics Using Differential Dynamic Microscopy

Published on: June 15, 2022

Adaptive dynamic range shift (ADRIFT) quantitative phase imaging.

Keiichiro Toda¹, Miu Tamamitsu¹, Takuro Ideguchi^2,3,4

¹Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.

Light, Science & Applications

|January 2, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

We developed supersensitive quantitative phase imaging (QPI) by expanding its dynamic range. This novel technique improves sensitivity for label-free single-cell analysis and nanoscale imaging.

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Last Updated: Nov 23, 2025

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Optical Imaging
Nanotechnology

Background:

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) offers label-free, high-contrast analysis of single cells via optical phase delay (OPD) maps.
Conventional QPI sensitivity is limited by substrate roughness, hindering measurement of minimal OPDs.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a supersensitive QPI technique with an expanded dynamic range.
To improve the sensitivity of emerging QPI methods like mid-infrared photothermal QPI.
To enable wide-field scattering imaging of dynamic nanoscale objects within cells.

Main Methods:

Adaptive dynamic range shift combining wavefront shaping and dark-field QPI.
Differential image analysis for emerging QPI techniques to mitigate OPD limits.

Main Results:

Demonstrated a dynamic range expansion (sensitivity improvement) of QPI by a factor of 6.6.
Showcased utility in enhancing the sensitivity of mid-infrared photothermal QPI.
Enabled label-free, wide-field scattering imaging of intracellular and extracellular nanoscale dynamics.

Conclusions:

Supersensitive QPI with adaptive dynamic range shift significantly enhances imaging sensitivity.
This technique expands the applicability of QPI for detailed cellular and nanoscale analysis.
The method preserves global cellular morphology while revealing fine dynamic nanoscale changes.