Decoupling of geometric thickness and refractive index in quantitative phase microscopy

Quantitative phase imaging based on polarization encoding

Most optical characterization methods rely on measuring the complex optical fields emerging from the interaction between light and material systems. Nevertheless, inherent scattering and absorption cause ambiguities in both interferometric and noninterferometric attempts to measure phase. Here we demonstrate that the complete information about a probe optical field can be encoded into the states of polarization, and develop a topography measurement method by blindly varying the ambient refractive index surrounding the sample in a wedged cuvette, which is capable of simultaneously measuring the thickness and the ambient refractive index of the sample in real time, as well as extending the measurement range of the sample thickness. With the method, we have successfully measured the topography of a 136.7 µm thick coverslip by blindly changing the ambient refractive index by 0.001246, resulting in the thickest sample characterization ever achieved by quantitative phase imaging, to the best of our knowledge. An efficient and complete characterization of optical fields is critical for any high-resolution imaging approach and the technique demonstrated here should prove attractive for applications ranging from microscopy to remote sensing. Thanks to the high precision and fast response speed, this method may pave a new way for measuring the topography of the thick samples, such as biological tissues.

Comprehensive single-shot biophysical cytometry using simultaneous quantitative phase imaging and Brillouin spectroscopy

Single-cell analysis, or cytometry, is a ubiquitous tool in the biomedical sciences. Whereas most cytometers use fluorescent probes to ascertain the presence or absence of targeted molecules, biophysical parameters such as the cell density, refractive index, and viscosity are difficult to obtain. In this work, we combine two complementary techniques-quantitative phase imaging and Brillouin spectroscopy-into a label-free image cytometry platform capable of measuring more than a dozen biophysical properties of individual cells simultaneously. Using a geometric simplification linked to freshly plated cells, we can acquire the cellular diameter, volume, refractive index, mass density, non-aqueous mass, fluid volume, dry volume, the fractional water content of cells, both by mass and by volume, the Brillouin shift, Brillouin linewidth, longitudinal modulus, longitudinal viscosity, the loss modulus, and the loss tangent, all from a single acquisition, and with no assumptions of underlying parameters. Our methods are validated across three cell populations, including a control population of CHO-K1 cells, cells exposed to tubulin-disrupting nocodazole, and cells under hypoosmotic shock. Our system will unlock new avenues of research in biophysics, cell biology, and medicine.

Erythrocyte volumetric measurements in imaging flow cytometry using simultaneous three-wavelength digital holographic microscopy

We report a cross-talk free simultaneous three-wavelength digital holographic microscopy setup for spectroscopic imaging of biological cells during flow. The feasibility of the proposed measurement technique is demonstrated on erythrocytes, due to their unique morphology and dependency of hemoglobin (Hb) molecule absorption on wavelength. From the spectroscopic quantitative phase profiles of cells acquired during flow in a microfluidic device, we decoupled the refractive index and the physical thickness. We then used our quantitative phase imaging results to dynamically calculate the mean cell volume (MCV), mean corpuscular Hb concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular Hb content (MCH) and sphericity index.

Label-free spatio-temporal monitoring of cytosolic mass, osmolarity, and volume in living cells

Microorganisms adapt their biophysical properties in response to changes in their local environment. However, quantifying these changes at the single-cell level has only recently become possible, largely relying on fluorescent labeling strategies. In this work, we utilize yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to demonstrate label-free quantification of changes in both intracellular osmolarity and macromolecular concentration in response to changes in the local environment. By combining a digital holographic microscope with a millifluidic chip, the temporal response of cellular water flux was successfully isolated from the rate of production of higher molecular weight compounds, in addition to identifying the produced compounds in terms of the product of their refractive index increment [Formula: see text] and molar mass. The ability to identify, quantify and temporally resolve multiple biophysical processes in living cells at the single cell level offers a crucial complement to label-based strategies, suggesting broad applicability in studies of a wide-range of cellular processes.

Molecular and biophysical analysis of apoptosis using a combined quantitative phase imaging and fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscope

Apoptotic mechanisms are often dysregulated in cancerous phenotypes. Additionally, many anticancer treatments induce apoptosis and necrosis, and the monitoring of this apoptotic activity can allow researchers to identify therapeutic efficiency. Here, we introduce a microscope which combines quantitative phase imaging (QPI) with the ability to detect molecular events via fluorescence (or Förster) resonance energy transfer (FRET). The system was applied to study cells undergoing apoptosis to correlate the onset of apoptotic enzyme activity as observed using a FRET-based apoptosis sensor with whole cell morphological changes analyzed via QPI. The QPI data showed changes in cell disorder strength during the initiation of apoptotic enzymatic activity.

Simultaneous measurement of refractive index distribution and topography by integrated transmission and reflection digital holographic microscopy

We propose a method for simultaneously measuring dynamic changes of the refractive index distribution and surface topography, which integrates the transmission and reflection digital holographic microscopy based on polarization and angular multiplexing techniques. The complex amplitudes of the transmitted and reflected object waves can be simultaneously retrieved. The phase information of the reflected object wave is directly used to determine the topography of the specimen which corresponds to its physical thickness. Assuming that the refractive index distribution is uniform in the direction of the specimen thickness, the refractive index distribution can be deduced from the phase distributions of the transmitted and reflected object waves without any approximation. The refractive index distribution and dynamic changes of the topography of a tiny deionized water droplet have been measured for the availability of the proposed method.

Transmission and total internal reflection integrated digital holographic microscopy

We develop a transmission and total internal reflection (TIR) integrated digital holographic microscopy (DHM) by introducing a home-made Dove prism with a polished short side. With the help of angular and polarization multiplexing techniques, the 2D refractive index distribution of a specimen adhered on the prism surface is determined using TIR-DHM. Meanwhile, the thickness profile is unambiguously calculated from the phase information using transmission DHM. This integrated microscopy is nondestructive and dynamic and can be used to simultaneously measure the index distribution and thickness profile of transparent or semi-transparent liquid or solid samples.

Subsampling phase retrieval for rapid thermal measurements of heated microstructures

A subsampling technique for real-time phase retrieval of high-speed thermal signals is demonstrated with heated metal lines such as those found in microelectronic interconnects. The thermal signals were produced by applying a current through aluminum resistors deposited on soda-lime-silica glass, and the resulting refractive index changes were measured using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a microscope objective and high-speed camera. The temperatures of the resistors were measured both by the phase-retrieval method and by monitoring the resistance of the aluminum lines. The method used to analyze the phase is at least 60× faster than the state of the art but it maintains a small spatial phase noise of 16 nm, remaining comparable to the state of the art. For slowly varying signals, the system is able to perform absolute phase measurements over time, distinguishing temperature changes as small as 2 K. With angular scanning or structured illumination improvements, the system could also perform fast thermal tomography.

Imaging deformation of adherent cells due to shear stress using quantitative phase imaging

We present a platform for detecting cellular deformations from mechanical stimuli, such as fluid shear stress, using rapid quantitative phase imaging. Rapid quantitative phase imaging was used to analyze changes in the optical path length of adherent skin cancer cells during mechanical displacement. Both the whole-cell phase displacement and the resultant shift of the cellular center of mass were calculated over the duration of the stimulus. Whole-cell phase displacement images were found to match expectation. Furthermore, center-of-mass shifts of adherent cells were found to resemble that of a one-dimensional Kelvin-Voigt (KV) viscoelastic solid. Cellular steady-state displacements from step fluid shear stimuli were found to be linearly related to the shear stress. Shear stiffness constants for cells exposed to a cytoskeletal disrupting toxin were found to be significantly lower than unexposed cells. This novel technique allows for elastographic analysis of whole-cell effective shear stiffness without the use of an exogenous force applicator, a specialized culture substrate, or tracking net perimeter movement of the cell.

Label-free route to rapid, nanoscale characterization of cellular structure and dynamics through opaque media

We report a novel technique for label-free, rapid visualization of structure and dynamics of live cells with nanoscale sensitivity through traditionally opaque media. Specifically, by combining principles of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and quantitative phase imaging, functional characterization of cellular structure and dynamics through silicon substrates is realized in our study. We demonstrate the efficacy of the new approach by full-field imaging of erythrocyte morphology in their native states with a nm path length sensitivity. Additionally, we observe dynamic variations of human embryonic kidney cells, through a silicon substrate, in response to hypotonic stimulation with ms temporal resolution that also provides unique insight into the underlying biophysical changes. The proposed technology is fundamentally suited for high-performance investigations of biological specimens and significantly expands the options for visualization in complex microfluidic devices fabricated on silicon.