Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control

The transport of intensity equation enables quantitative phase imaging from only two axially displaced intensity images, facilitating the characterization of low-contrast samples like cells and microorganisms. However, the rapid selection of the correct defocused planes, crucial for real-time phase...

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Main Authors: Christos Alexandropoulos, Laura Rodríguez-Suñé, Martí Duocastella
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/14/4503
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author Christos Alexandropoulos
Laura Rodríguez-Suñé
Martí Duocastella
author_facet Christos Alexandropoulos
Laura Rodríguez-Suñé
Martí Duocastella
author_sort Christos Alexandropoulos
collection DOAJ
description The transport of intensity equation enables quantitative phase imaging from only two axially displaced intensity images, facilitating the characterization of low-contrast samples like cells and microorganisms. However, the rapid selection of the correct defocused planes, crucial for real-time phase imaging of dynamic events, remains challenging. Additionally, the different images are normally acquired sequentially, further limiting phase-reconstruction speed. Here, we report on a system that addresses these issues and enables user-tuned defocusing with snapshot phase retrieval. Our approach is based on combining multi-color pulsed illumination with acousto-optic defocusing for microsecond-scale chromatic aberration control. By illuminating each plane with a different color and using a color camera, the information to reconstruct a phase map can be gathered in a single acquisition. We detail the fundamentals of our method, characterize its performance, and demonstrate live phase imaging of a freely moving microorganism at speeds of 150 phase reconstructions per second, limited only by the camera’s frame rate.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1424-8220
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Sensors
spelling doaj-art-94eebc5f436a4b09afb0641d2cc3d9952025-08-20T03:32:15ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-07-012514450310.3390/s25144503Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration ControlChristos Alexandropoulos0Laura Rodríguez-Suñé1Martí Duocastella2Department of Applied Physics, Universitat de Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Applied Physics, Universitat de Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Applied Physics, Universitat de Barcelona, C/Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, SpainThe transport of intensity equation enables quantitative phase imaging from only two axially displaced intensity images, facilitating the characterization of low-contrast samples like cells and microorganisms. However, the rapid selection of the correct defocused planes, crucial for real-time phase imaging of dynamic events, remains challenging. Additionally, the different images are normally acquired sequentially, further limiting phase-reconstruction speed. Here, we report on a system that addresses these issues and enables user-tuned defocusing with snapshot phase retrieval. Our approach is based on combining multi-color pulsed illumination with acousto-optic defocusing for microsecond-scale chromatic aberration control. By illuminating each plane with a different color and using a color camera, the information to reconstruct a phase map can be gathered in a single acquisition. We detail the fundamentals of our method, characterize its performance, and demonstrate live phase imaging of a freely moving microorganism at speeds of 150 phase reconstructions per second, limited only by the camera’s frame rate.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/14/4503label-free microscopyacousto-opticstransport of intensity equationliquid lensillumination encoding
spellingShingle Christos Alexandropoulos
Laura Rodríguez-Suñé
Martí Duocastella
Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control
Sensors
label-free microscopy
acousto-optics
transport of intensity equation
liquid lens
illumination encoding
title Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control
title_full Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control
title_fullStr Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control
title_full_unstemmed Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control
title_short Snapshot Quantitative Phase Imaging with Acousto-Optic Chromatic Aberration Control
title_sort snapshot quantitative phase imaging with acousto optic chromatic aberration control
topic label-free microscopy
acousto-optics
transport of intensity equation
liquid lens
illumination encoding
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/14/4503
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AT laurarodriguezsune snapshotquantitativephaseimagingwithacoustoopticchromaticaberrationcontrol
AT martiduocastella snapshotquantitativephaseimagingwithacoustoopticchromaticaberrationcontrol