EdgePhase: a portable edge-computational microscope for point-of-care quantitative phase imaging

Area of Science:

• Microscopy
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Imaging

Background:

• Conventional microscopes are bulky and require external platforms for data processing, limiting point-of-care testing (PoCT) applications.
• Existing portable microscopes often lack integrated computing and display, hindering field deployment.
• There is a need for self-contained, portable microscopy solutions for remote and field diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable, all-in-one computational microscope for field applications.
• To integrate imaging, edge computing, storage, and visualization into a single compact device.
• To overcome the limitations of external platform dependency in current portable microscopes.

Main Methods:

• Developed EdgePhase, a portable edge computational microscope (18.80 × 20.34 × 19.57 cm³).
• Integrated a compact quantitative phase imaging system with an edge computing platform, monitor, and rechargeable power supply.
• Utilized parallel computing for dual-focus image acquisition, phase retrieval, data storage, and visualization at >10 fps for 1024 × 1024-pixel images.

Main Results:

• Achieved a frame rate of >10 fps with integrated parallel computing for image acquisition, phase retrieval, and display.
• Validated phase reconstruction accuracy and demonstrated dynamic and field phase imaging capabilities.
• Successfully imaged live cells and blood smears using the self-contained portable system.

Conclusions:

• EdgePhase provides a practical, portable solution for edge computational microscopy.
• The integrated design enables standalone operation for field-based diagnostics and PoCT.
• This development advances the potential of mobile microscopy for real-time analysis in diverse environments.