High resolution imaging with differential infrared absorption micro-spectroscopy

Label-free ultra-sensitive visualization of structure below the diffraction resolution limit

For both fundamental study of biological processes and early diagnosis of diseases, information about nanoscale changes in tissue and cell structure is crucial. Nowadays, almost all currently known nanoscopy methods rely upon the contrast created by fluorescent stains attached to the object or molecule of interest. This causes limitations due to the impact of the label on the object and its environment, as well as its applicability in vivo, particularly in humans. In this paper, a new label-free approach to visualize small structure with nano-sensitivity to structural alterations is introduced. Numerically synthesized profiles of the axial spatial frequencies are used to probe the structure within areas whose size can be beyond the diffraction resolution limit. Thereafter, nanoscale structural alterations within such areas can be visualized and objects, including biological ones, can be investigated with sub-wavelength resolution, in vivo, in their natural environment. Some preliminary results, including numerical simulations and experiments, which demonstrate the nano-sensitivity and super-resolution ability of our approach, are presented.

Spatial-domain filter enhanced subtraction microscopy and application to mid-IR imaging

We have experimentally investigated the enhancement in spatial resolution by image subtraction in mid-infrared central solid-immersion lens (c-SIL) microscopy. The subtraction exploits a first image measured with the c-SIL point-spread function (PSF) realized with a Gaussian beam and a second image measured with the beam optically patterned by a silicon π-step phase plate, to realize a centrally hollow PSF. The intense sides lobes in both PSFs that are intrinsic to the SIL make the conventional weighted subtraction methods inadequate. A spatial-domain filter with a kernel optimized to match both experimental PSFs in their periphery was thus developed to modify the first image prior to subtraction, and this resulted in greatly improved performance, with polystyrene beads 1.4 ± 0.1 µm apart optically resolved with a mid-IR wavelength of 3.4 µm in water. Spatial-domain filtering is applicable to other PSF pairs, and simulations show that it also outperforms conventional subtraction methods for the Gaussian and doughnut beams widely used in visible and near-IR microscopy.

Emerging technologies for biomedical analysis

Options for biomedical analysis continue to evolve from many fields of study, employing diverse detection and quantification methods. New technologies in this arena focus on improving the sensitivity of analysis and the speed of testing, as well as producing systems at low cost which can be used on site as a point-of-care device for telemedicine applications. In this article, the most important original experimental platforms as well as current commercial approaches to biomedical analysis are critically chosen and reviewed, covering January 2010 to January 2014. While literature is quite broad and numerous, there is clear emphasis on biological recognition and imaging for the most impactful works. The analytical approaches are discussed in terms of their utility in diagnostics and biomedical testing.