System and method for parallelized volumetric microscope imaging

A method comprising:

• setting focus of multiple cameras of a microscope to multiple focus depth planes in a sample;
• at each focus depth plane of the multiple focus depth planes, capturing images of the sample by the multiple cameras under multiple illumination patterns generated by an illumination source of the microscope,
• wherein each cameras of the multiple cameras is configured to capture images of a portion of the sample;
• forming multiple image representations at the multiple focus depth planes, with each image representation of the multiple image representations is formed at a focus depth plane of the multiple focus depth planes,
• wherein the each image representation of the multiple image representations is formed by processing multiple images of an area of the sample captured under the multiple illumination patterns at the focus depth plane,
• wherein the multiple images of an area comprise the images captured by an individual camera of the multiple cameras under the multiple illumination patterns at the focus depth plane, or composite images stitched from the images captured by the multiple cameras under the multiple illumination patterns at the focus depth plane,
• wherein the each image representation comprises lateral and depth information at the focus depth plane;
• forming a volumetric representation of the sample based on the multiple image representations.

A microscope comprising:

• multiple cameras,
• wherein each camera of the multiple cameras is configured to capture one or more images of a region of a sample;
• one or more radiation sources,
• wherein the one or more radiation sources are configured to illuminate the sample;
• a moving mechanism coupled to the multiple cameras or to the sample for moving the multiple cameras relative to the sample in an axial direction perpendicular to a lateral surface of the sample;
• a processor,
• wherein the processor is configured to control the one or more radiation sources to create multiple illumination patterns to the sample,
• wherein the processor is configured to control the multiple cameras to capture images of the sample under the multiple illumination patterns,
• wherein the processor is configured to control the moving mechanism to focus the multiple cameras to each of multiple focus depth planes of the sample,
• wherein the processor is configured to form multiple image representations at the multiple focus depth planes,
• wherein each image representation of the multiple image representations is formed by processing multiple images of an area of the sample captured under multiple illumination patterns at a focus depth plane of the multiple focus depth planes, with each image of the multiple images captured under an illumination pattern of the multiple illumination patterns,
• wherein the images of an area include images captured by an individual camera, or composite images stitched from images captured by multiple cameras,
• wherein the processor is configured to form a volumetric representation of the sample based on the multiple image representations at the multiple focus planes.