Three-dimensional imaging of biological cells using surface plasmon coupled emission

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Optical Imaging
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) biological cell imaging is crucial for biomedical and microbiology studies.
• Current 3D imaging techniques are often expensive, complex, and require extensive data processing.
• There is a significant need for low-cost, simplified imaging methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a low-cost imaging technique for accurate 3D biological cell imaging.
• To utilize surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) patterns for cell imaging.
• To provide an alternative to conventional, high-cost imaging modalities.

Main Methods:

• Developed an imaging methodology based on detecting surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) patterns from fluorescently labeled cells.
• Theoretically demonstrated the creation of 3D cell images from SPCE patterns.
• Applied the technique to various regular and irregular cell shapes.

Main Results:

• The developed technique successfully created 3D images of cells with high accuracy.
• Root-mean-square errors (RMSE) for cell base imaging were within a few percentages (≲1.4% for circular, ≲2.8% for irregular).
• A 3D image of a random cellular structure was obtained with an RMSE of ≲6.5%.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SPCE-based imaging technique offers a promising, low-cost solution for 3D biological cell imaging.
• The method simplifies optical arrangements and reduces data processing needs.
• Further development is expected to enhance its applicability in biomedical research.