Spatial- and Fourier-domain ptychography for high-throughput bio-imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Optical Microscopy
• Computational Imaging

Background:

• Ptychography, initially for crystallography, is underutilized in biomedical research due to resolution and throughput limitations in visible light.
• Recent advancements in spatial- and Fourier-domain ptychography address these limitations, offering improved optical imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide comprehensive information for implementing ptychography in the visible light regime for biomedical researchers.
• To detail practical, low-cost methods for building spatial- and Fourier-domain ptychography systems.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of the relationship between spatial-domain coded ptychography and Fourier ptychography.
• Step-by-step instructions for developing both spatial- and Fourier-domain ptychography systems.
• Demonstration of creating a low-cost blood-cell lens for spatial-domain implementation and enhancing microscope resolution with a low-cost light source for Fourier-domain implementation.

Main Results:

• Spatial- and Fourier-domain ptychography offer high-resolution, high-throughput imaging with minimal hardware modifications.
• A low-cost, high-performance blood-cell lens can be fabricated for spatial-domain ptychography.
• Resolution beyond the objective lens limit is achievable in Fourier-domain ptychography using a simple light source addition.

Conclusions:

• Ptychography systems are now accessible for biomedical researchers, citizen scientists, and educational settings.
• These DIY setups can be built within a week by users with basic optics and programming knowledge.
• The implementation enables advanced imaging techniques in laboratory courses and research projects.