Pupil-aberration calibration with controlled illumination for quantitative phase imaging

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Microscopy

Background:

• Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) offers label-free analysis of biological samples by measuring optical field changes.
• QPI's quantitative measurements are highly sensitive to optical aberrations, compromising image accuracy.
• Existing aberration correction methods may require specialized samples or complex procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for calibrating pupil aberrations in quantitative phase imaging.
• To enable accurate label-free imaging of biological specimens despite inherent optical imperfections.
• To provide a calibration technique compatible with both thin and weakly scattering 3D samples.

Main Methods:

• A new pupil aberration calibration method is proposed, utilizing cross-spectral density between optical fields at varying incident angles.
• The method involves imaging a sample of interest for aberration recovery.
• Experimental validation was performed using a resolution target, breast tissue, and a polystyrene bead.

Main Results:

• The proposed method successfully recovers pupil aberration information from the sample itself.
• Aberration-free two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) QPI was demonstrated experimentally.
• The technique proved effective for diverse sample types, including biological tissues.

Conclusions:

• The developed method provides an effective approach for calibrating pupil aberrations in QPI.
• This technique enhances the accuracy and reliability of label-free biological imaging.
• The aberration-free QPI results open possibilities for more detailed quantitative analysis of specimens.