Tomographic phase microscopy
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsWonshik Choi, Ramachandra Rao Dasari, Christopher M. Fang-Yen, Michael S. Feld
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Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods for quantitative three-dimensional mapping of refractive index in living or non-living cells, tissues, or organisms using a phase-shifting laser interferometric microscope with variable illumination angle. A preferred embodiment provides tomographic imaging of cells and multicellular organisms, and time-dependent changes in cell structure and the quantitative characterization of specimen-induced aberrations in high-resolution microscopy with multiple applications in tissue light scattering.
Claims60
An interferometric method for measuring refractive index of a medium comprising:
- scanning light along a first scanning light path through a medium at a plurality of angles, a medium holder being stationary relative to a detector during scanning of the light path;
- combining the light transmitted through the medium with a temporally modulated reference light;
- detecting the combined light with the detector to generate measured data;
- and
- processing the measured data with a data processor to determine a distribution of a refractive index of the medium.
A tomography system for measuring a medium comprising:
- a first light source;
- a first light path coupling light from the light source onto the medium on a stationary support;
- a scanner that actuates movement of the first light path to scan the moving light path through the medium at different angles;
- a second light path that couples a temporally modulated reference light onto a light path with light transmitted through the medium;
- a detector that detects the reference light interfering with the light transmitted through the medium, the stationary support holding the medium stationary relative to the detector;
- and
- a processor that determines a three-dimensional distribution of a refractive index of the medium from the detected light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.