Imaging systems with angled sensors and related methods

A diffractive imaging system, comprising:

• a light source;
• a sample support configured to hold a sample along a first plane;
• and
• a first sensor comprising a plurality of pixels disposed in a second plane that is tilted at an inclined angle relative to the first plane, wherein the first sensor is arranged to record diffraction images of the light source from the sample, wherein there are no lenses between the sample support and the first sensor.

A diffractive imaging system, comprising:

• a light source;
• a sample support configured to hold a sample along a first plane;
• a first sensor comprising a plurality of pixels disposed in a second plane that is tilted at an inclined angle relative to the first plane, wherein the first sensor is arranged to record diffraction images of the light source from the sample;
• and
• an acquisition device comprising at least one processor adapted to:
• partition diffraction image data from the sensor into a plurality of groups corresponding to different sections of the sensor;
• determine an image for a same portion of the sample based on first diffraction image data from a first section of the sensor and second diffraction image data from a second section of the sensor different from the first section;
• and
• compensate for the angle when computing an in-focus image for the sample.

A method for imaging a sample on a sample support that is configured to hold the sample along a first plane, comprising:

• illuminating the sample using a light sources;
• recording a first diffraction pattern of the light source from the sample with a first sensor arranged in a second plane that is tilted at an inclined angle relative to the first plane;
• varying a relative lateral position, in a direction that is approximately parallel to the first plane, of the first sensor with respect to the sample support;
• subsequent to varying the lateral position, recording a second diffraction pattern of the light source from the sample with the first sensor;
• and
• reconstructing a microscopic image of a portion of the sample using a first portion of the first diffraction pattern that was recorded by a first portion of the sensor and a second portion of the second diffraction pattern that was recorded by a second portion of the sensor different from the first portion of the sensor.