High-Precision Lensless Microscope on a Chip Based on In-Line Holographic Imaging

The lensless on-chip microscope is an emerging technology in the recent decade that can realize the imaging and analysis of biological samples with a wide field-of-view without huge optical devices and any lenses. Because of its small size, low cost, and being easy to hold and operate, it can be used as an alternative tool for large microscopes in resource-poor or remote areas, which is of great significance for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases. To improve the low-resolution characteristics of the existing lensless shadow imaging systems and to meet the high-resolution needs of point-of-care testing, here, we propose a high-precision on-chip microscope based on in-line holographic technology. We demonstrated the ability of the iterative phase recovery algorithm to recover sample information and evaluated it with image quality evaluation algorithms with or without reference. The results showed that the resolution of the holographic image after iterative phase recovery is 1.41 times that of traditional shadow imaging. Moreover, we used machine learning tools to identify and count the mixed samples of mouse ascites tumor cells and micro-particles that were iterative phase recovered. The results showed that the on-chip cell counter had high-precision counting characteristics as compared with manual counting of the microscope reference image. Therefore, the proposed high-precision lensless microscope on a chip based on in-line holographic imaging provides one promising solution for future point-of-care testing (POCT).

Computational imaging of sperm locomotion

Not only essential for scientific research, but also in the analysis of male fertility and for animal husbandry, sperm tracking and characterization techniques have been greatly benefiting from computational imaging. Digital image sensors, in combination with optical microscopy tools and powerful computers, have enabled the use of advanced detection and tracking algorithms that automatically map sperm trajectories and calculate various motility parameters across large data sets. Computational techniques are driving the field even further, facilitating the development of unconventional sperm imaging and tracking methods that do not rely on standard optical microscopes and objective lenses, which limit the field of view and volume of the semen sample that can be imaged. As an example, a holographic on-chip sperm imaging platform, only composed of a light-emitting diode and an opto-electronic image sensor, has emerged as a high-throughput, low-cost and portable alternative to lens-based traditional sperm imaging and tracking methods. In this approach, the sample is placed very close to the image sensor chip, which captures lensfree holograms generated by the interference of the background illumination with the light scattered from sperm cells. These holographic patterns are then digitally processed to extract both the amplitude and phase information of the spermatozoa, effectively replacing the microscope objective lens with computation. This platform has further enabled high-throughput 3D imaging of spermatozoa with submicron 3D positioning accuracy in large sample volumes, revealing various rare locomotion patterns. We believe that computational chip-scale sperm imaging and 3D tracking techniques will find numerous opportunities in both sperm related research and commercial applications.

Tunable vapor-condensed nanolenses

Nanostructured optical components, such as nanolenses, direct light at subwavelength scales to enable, among others, high-resolution lithography, miniaturization of photonic circuits, and nanoscopic imaging of biostructures. A major challenge in fabricating nanolenses is the appropriate positioning of the lens with respect to the sample while simultaneously ensuring it adopts the optimal size and shape for the intended use. One application of particular interest is the enhancement of contrast and signal-to-noise ratio in the imaging of nanoscale objects, especially over wide fields-of-view (FOVs), which typically come with limited resolution and sensitivity for imaging nano-objects. Here we present a self-assembly method for fabricating time- and temperature-tunable nanolenses based on the condensation of a polymeric liquid around a nanoparticle, which we apply to the high-throughput on-chip detection of spheroids smaller than 40 nm, rod-shaped particles with diameter smaller than 20 nm, and biofunctionalized nanoparticles, all across an ultralarge FOV of >20 mm(2). Previous nanoparticle imaging efforts across similar FOVs have detected spheroids no smaller than 100 nm, and therefore our results demonstrate the detection of particles >15-fold smaller in volume, which in free space have >240 times weaker Rayleigh scattering compared to the particle sizes detected in earlier wide-field imaging work. This entire platform, with its tunable nanolens condensation and wide-field imaging functions, is also miniaturized into a cost-effective and portable device, which might be especially important for field use, mobile sensing, and diagnostics applications, including, for example, the measurement of viral load in bodily fluids.

On-chip biomedical imaging

Lab-on-a-chip systems have been rapidly emerging to pave the way toward ultra-compact, efficient, mass producible and cost-effective biomedical research and diagnostic tools. Although such microfluidic and microelectromechanical systems have achieved high levels of integration, and are capable of performing various important tasks on the same chip, such as cell culturing, sorting and staining, they still rely on conventional microscopes for their imaging needs. Recently, several alternative on-chip optical imaging techniques have been introduced, which have the potential to substitute conventional microscopes for various lab-on-a-chip applications. Here we present a critical review of these recently emerging on-chip biomedical imaging modalities, including contact shadow imaging, lens-free holographic microscopy, fluorescent on-chip microscopy and lens-free optical tomography.

Optical and Electric Multifunctional CMOS Image Sensors for On-Chip Biosensing Applications

In this review, the concept, design, performance, and a functional demonstration of multifunctional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors dedicated to on-chip biosensing applications are described. We developed a sensor architecture that allows flexible configuration of a sensing pixel array consisting of optical and electric sensing pixels, and designed multifunctional CMOS image sensors that can sense light intensity and electric potential or apply a voltage to an on-chip measurement target. We describe the sensors' architecture on the basis of the type of electric measurement or imaging functionalities.