Optical diffraction tomography for high resolution live cell imaging

Yongjin Sung, Wonshik Choi, Christopher Fang-Yen, Kamran Badizadegan, Ramachandra R. Dasari, Michael S. Feld

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    531 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    We report the experimental implementation of optical diffraction tomography for quantitative 3D mapping of refractive index in live biological cells. Using a heterodyne Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we record complex field images of light transmitted through a sample with varying directions of illumination. To quantitatively reconstruct the 3D map of complex refractive index in live cells, we apply optical diffraction tomography based on the Rytov approximation. In this way, the effect of diffraction is taken into account in the reconstruction process and diffraction-free high resolution 3D images are obtained throughout the entire sample volume. The quantitative refractive index map can potentially serve as an intrinsic assay to provide the molecular concentrations without the addition of exogenous agents and also to provide a method for studying the light scattering properties of single cells.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)266-277
    Number of pages12
    JournalOptics Express
    Volume17
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2009 Jan 5

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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