Non-axial-scanning multifocal confocal microscopy with multiplexed volume holographic gratings

Temperature effects on axial dispersion in a photopolymer-based holographic lens

This study aims to discover whether temperature has an effect on axial dispersion in a photopolymer-based holographic lens. A typical coaxial holographic lens is recorded in the acrylamide polymer system. The axial dispersion spectrum is read and collected by using a supercontinuum source and spectrometer. The temperature effects on axial dispersion in a photopolymer-based holographic lens are investigated experimentally. With increasing temperature from 23°C to 70°C, the diffraction spectrum shifts, and the axial dispersion is shortened evidently. The peak wavelength of the dispersion spectrum shifts from 629.05 to 612.50 nm with an obvious blueshift of 16.55 nm. The spatial position of the peak wavelength also decreases from around 40 to 22 mm from the material surface. Simultaneously, the position sensitivity of the device reduces from 2.53 to 1.50 nm/mm. The shortening of the effective focal length and reduction of the diffraction intensity indicate that the high temperature above 40°C is a disadvantageous factor for actual use of a holographic lens-based spectral confocal measuring device. In practical application, a constant temperature is a significant means to ensure the measurement accuracy and range.

Multifocal confocal microscopy using a volume holographic lenslet array illuminator

Multifocal illumination can improve image acquisition time compared to single point scanning in confocal microscopy. However, due to an increase in the system complexity, obtaining uniform multifocal illumination throughout the field of view with conventional methods is challenging. Here, we propose a volume holographic lenslet array illuminator (VHLAI) for multifocal confocal microscopy. To obtain uniform array illumination, a super Gaussian (SG) beam has been incorporated through VHLAI with an efficiency of 43%, and implemented in a confocal microscope. The design method for a photo-polymer based volume holographic beam shaper is presented and its advantages are thoroughly addressed. The proposed system can significantly improve image acquisition time without sacrificing the quality of the image. The performance of the proposed multifocal confocal microscopy was compared with wide-field images and also evaluated by measuring optically sectioned microscopic images of fluorescence beads, florescence pollen grains, and biological samples. The proposed multifocal confocal system generates images faster without any changes in scanning devices. The present method may find important applications in high-speed multifocal microscopy platforms.

Study of the Off-Axis Fresnel Zone Plate of a Microscopic Tomographic Aberration

A tomographic microscopy system can achieve instantaneous three-dimensional imaging, and this type of microscopy system has been widely used in the study of biological samples; however, existing chromatographic microscopes based on off-axis Fresnel zone plates have degraded image quality due to geometric aberrations such as spherical aberration, coma aberration, and image scattering. This issue hinders the further development of chromatographic microscopy systems. In this paper, we propose a method for the design of an off-axis Fresnel zone plate with the elimination of aberrations based on double exposure point holographic surface interference. The aberration coefficient model of the optical path function was used to solve the optimal recording parameters, and the principle of the aberration elimination tomography microscopic optical path was verified. The simulation and experimental verification were carried out utilizing a Seidel coefficient, average gradient, and signal-to-noise ratio. First, the aberration coefficient model of the optical path function was used to solve the optimal recording parameters. Then, the laminar mi-coroscopy optical system was constructed for the verification of the principle. Finally, the simulation calculation results and the experimental results were verified by comparing the Seidel coefficient, average gradient, and signal-to-noise ratio of the microscopic optical system before and after the aberration elimination. The results show that for the diffractive light at the orders 0 and ±1, the spherical aberration W040 decreases by 62–70%, the coma aberration W131 decreases by 96–98%, the image dispersion W222 decreases by 71–82%, and the field curvature W220 decreases by 96–96%, the average gradient increases by 2.8%, and the signal-to-noise ratio increases by 18%.

Multi-plane confocal microscopy with multiplexed volume holographic gratings [Invited]

A volume holographic (VHG) grating-based multi-plane differential confocal microscopy (DCM) is proposed for axial scan-free imaging. Also, we briefly reviewed our previous works on volume holographic-based confocal imaging. We show that without degrading imaging performance, it is possible to simultaneously obtain two depth-resolved optically sectioned images with improved axial resolution using multi-plane DCM. The performance of our multi-plane DCM was evaluated by measuring the surface profile of a silicon micro-hole array with depths separation around 10 µm. The axial sensitivity of the system is around 25 nm. Our system has the advantages of multi-plane imaging with high axial sensitivity and high optical sectioning ability. Our method can be used for reflective surface profiling and multi-plane fluorescence imaging. The present methods may find important applications in surface metrology for label-free biological samples, as well as industrial applications.

The Parasites Caught In-Action: Imaging at the Host-Parasite Interface

For many decades, scientists were unable to expose the invisible existence of the parasites in their living hosts, except by scarification and then dissection of the animal model. This process just demonstrates a dead parasite in a dead host. Using this approach, very limited information can be obtained concerning the dynamics of infection and the pathways utilized by the parasite to survive within a hostile host's environment. Introduction of ultra-high-speed imaging techniques, with a time domain of barely few microseconds or even less, has revolutionized the "in vivo dissection" of the parasites. Such methods provide platforms for imaging host-parasite interactions at diverse scales, down to the molecular level. These have complementary advantages and relative assets in investigating host-parasite interactions. Therefore, better elucidation of such interaction may require the usage of more than one approach. Precise in vivo quantification, of the parasite load within the host, and better insight into the kinetics of infection are the two main advantages of the novel imaging procedures. However, imaging parasite-host interplay is still a challenging approach due to many constraints related to the parasite biology, the tissue environment within which the parasites exist, and the logistic technical limitations. This review was planned to assist better understanding of how much the new imaging techniques impacted the recent advances in parasite biology, especially the immunobiology of protozoan parasites.

Volume holographic optical element for light sheet fluorescence microscopy

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging of living organisms requires fine optical sectioning and high-speed image acquisition, which can be achieved by light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). However, orthogonal illumination and detection arms in the LSFM system make it bulky. Here, we propose and demonstrate the application of a volume holographic optical element (photopolymer-based volume holographic grating) for designing a compact LSFM system, called a volume holographic LSFM (VHLSFM). Using the VHLSFM, we performed in vivo imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and observed high-contrast optically sectioned fluorescence images of the oocytes and embryonic development in real time for 3D imaging.

Two-photon fluorescence imaging of subsurface tissue structures with volume holographic microscopy

SIGNIFICANCE

Two-photon (2P) fluorescence imaging can provide background-free high-contrast images from the scattering tissues. However, obtaining a multiplane image is not straightforward. We present a two-photon volume holographic imaging (2P-VHI) system for multiplane imaging.

AIM

Our goal was to design and implement a 2P-VHI system that can provide the high-contrast optically sectioned images at multiple planes.

APPROACH

A 2P-VHI system is presented that incorporates angularly multiplexed volume holographic gratings and a femtosecond laser source for fluorescence excitation for multiplane imaging. A volume hologram with multiplexed gratings provides multifocal observation, whereas nonlinear excitation using a femtosecond laser helps in significantly enhancing both depth resolution and contrast of images.

RESULTS

Standard fluorescent beads are used to demonstrate the imaging performance of the 2P-VHI system. Two-depth resolved optical-sectioning images of fluorescently labeled thick mice intestine samples were obtained. In addition, the optical sectioning capability of our system is measured and compared with that of a conventional VHI system.

CONCLUSIONS

Results demonstrated that 2P excitation in VHI systems provided the optical sectioning ability that helps in reducing background noise in the images. Integration of nonlinear fluorescence excitation in the VHI provides some unique advantages to the system and has potential to design multidepth optical sectioned spatial-spectral imaging systems.

Expansion of axial dispersion in a photopolymer-based holographic lens and its improvement for measuring displacement

Coaxial multiple holographic lenses as high-dispersion elements are developed for a spectral confocal displacement measurement device. Wavelength and coaxial spatial multiplexing methods are used to record the holographic lens with two coaxial foci. The expansion of axial spatial dispersion in photopolymer-based multiple holographic lenses has been demonstrated and studied experimentally. The multiple holographic lenses provide a larger spatial dispersion to improve the characteristic parameters for measuring the displacement. Compared to single holographic lenses, the maximum of axial dispersion wavelength difference of the multiple lenses increases from 134.63 to 162.81 nm, and the corresponding measurable range increases from 203 to 385 mm. The axial spatial dispersion conforms to a typical exponential function. The overall spatial position sensitivity of multiple holographic lenses reaches 2.36 mm/nm. In addition, the multiple lenses also decrease the lateral dispersion compared to the single lenses. The multiple lenses can efficiently reduce the transverse measurement error. Finally, the displacement measurement result confirms the improvement of measureable spatial range. The multiple holographic lenses can accelerate the practical application of holographic lens-based optical elements.

Multi-line fluorescence scanning microscope for multi-focal imaging with unlimited field of view

Confocal scanning microscopy is the de facto standard modality for fluorescence imaging. Point scanning, however, leads to a limited throughput and makes the technique unsuitable for fast multi-focal scanning over large areas. We propose an architecture for multi-focal fluorescence imaging that is scalable to large area imaging. The design is based on the concept of line scanning with continuous 'push broom' scanning. Instead of a line sensor, we use an area sensor that is tilted with respect to the optical axis to acquire image data from multiple depths inside the sample simultaneously. A multi-line illumination where the lines span a plane conjugate to the tilted sensor is created by means of a diffractive optics design, implemented on a spatial light modulator. In particular, we describe a design that uses higher order astigmatism to generate focal lines of substantially constant peak intensity along the lines. The proposed method is suitable for fast 3D image acquisition with unlimited field of view, it requires no moving components except for the sample scanning stage, and provides intrinsic alignment of the simultaneously scanned focal slices. As proof of concept, we have scanned 9 focal slices simultaneously over an area of 36 mm² at 0.29 µm pixel size in object space. The projected ultimate throughput that can be realized with the proposed architecture is in excess of 100 Mpixel/s.

Photopolymer-based coaxial holographic lens for spectral confocal displacement and morphology measurement

A spectral confocal displacement and morphology measurement device with a photopolymer-based coaxial holographic lens as a high dispersion element is developed. The linear dependence of the axial spatial position on the peak wavelength of dispersion spectrum provides a high accuracy and large range for measuring displacement and morphology. In the linear dispersion region, accompanied with a 120 nm shift of peak wavelength, the measure position range exceeds 20 mm. The available experimental accuracy of displacement and morphology can reach 47.5 μm/0.5 nm using a commercial optical fiber spectrum with a resolution of 0.5 nm. Utilizing thin polymer-based holographic lens with high dispersion can effectively compact the device size. Simultaneously, it can provide a large axial dispersion for measuring the spatial position characterization compared with the traditional glass-based dispersion lens group. A holographic optical lens based on a photopolymer is expected to apply in high-precision surface morphology measurement of large-scale macroscopic objects. It will improve the measurement accuracy and accelerate the development of holographic optical elements.

Volume holographic spatial-spectral imaging systems [Invited]

In this paper, we present an overview of the recent developments in applications of volume holographic imaging techniques in microscopy. In these techniques, three-dimensional imaging incorporates multiplexed volume holographic gratings, which are formed in phenanthrenequinone poly(methyl methacrylate) (PQ-PMMA) photopolymer and act as spatial-spectral filters, to obtain multiplane images from a volumetric object without scanning. We introduce recent major roles of volume holography in different imaging modalities, including large-capacity spatial-spectral multiplane microscopy, digital holographic microscopy, and structured Talbot (or speckle) illumination fluorescence imaging. Among various imaging applications of volume holography, simultaneous multiplane fluorescence microscopy for collecting spatial-spectral information is distinct and has great potential for hyperspectral imaging. Depth selective spatial-spectral information from an object is particularly useful for designing a high-resolution microscope in real-time operation. We further discuss volume holography in particle trapping and beam shaping. In addition, we investigate future prospects of volume holography in microscopy as well as endoscopy.

Multiplexed holographic non-axial-scanning slit confocal fluorescence microscopy

A non-axial-scanning multi-plane microscopic system incorporating multiplexed volume holographic gratings and slit array detection to simultaneously acquire optically sectioned images from different depths is presented. The proposed microscopic system is configured such that multiplexed volume holographic gratings are utilized to selectively produce axial focal points in two or more planes inside the sample, and then to use confocal slit apertures to simultaneously image these multiple planes onto corresponding detection areas of a CCD. We describe the design, implementation, and experimental data demonstrating this microscopic system's ability to obtain optically sectioned multi-plane images of fluorescently labeled standard micro-spheres and tissue samples without scanning in axial directions.

Improvement of ultrafast holographic performance in silver nanoprisms dispersed photopolymer

This work demonstrates the grating formation of bulk nanoparticle polymer composites through an improved interference optical system under ultrafast nanoseconds exposure of a silver nanoprisms (NPs) dispersed photo-polymerizable mixture in the case of 532 nm wavelength. The polymerizable mixture is composed of phenathrenequinone (PQ) (photoinitiator) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) (monomer). The mechanism in this bulk nanoparticle polymer composite is analyzed by mixing nonlocal polymerization driven diffusion (NPDD) model and absorption modulation caused by the spatial concentration distribution difference of silver NPs. We find that the attenuation of diffraction efficiency under pulsed exposure is due to the reciprocity law failure. This work presents an analysis of the cause of reciprocity failure and improvement in holographic properties by doping silver NPs. The optimized photopolymer presents diffraction efficiencies as high as 51.4% with 1.8 μs cumulative pulsed exposure. Cumulative gratings strength is also enhanced by 70% while doping silver NPs under 1.5 μs cumulative pulsed exposure.