Phasor approach of Mueller matrix optical scanning microscopy for biological tissue imaging

Abstract

Mueller matrix microscopy is an advanced imaging technique providing a full characterization of the optical polarization fingerprint of a sample. The Lu-Chipman (LC) decomposition, a method based on the modeling of elementary polarimetric arrangements and matrix inversions, is the gold standard to extract each polarimetric component separately. However, this models the optical system as a small number of discrete optical elements and requires a priori knowledge of the order in which these elements occur. In stratified media or when the ordering is not known, the interpretation of the LC decomposition becomes difficult. In this work, we propose a new, to our knowledge, representation dedicated to the study of biological tissues that combines Mueller matrix microscopy with a phasor approach. We demonstrate that this method provides an easier and direct interpretation of the retardance images in any birefringent material without the use of mathematical assumptions regarding the structure of the sample and yields comparable contrast to the LC decomposition. By validating this approach through numerical simulations, we demonstrate that it is able to give access to localized structural information, resulting in a simple determination of the birefringent parameters at the microscopic level. We apply our novel, to our knowledge, method to typical biological tissues that are of interest in the field of biomedical diagnosis.

Roadmap on Label‐Free Super‐Resolution Imaging

“…[ 377 ] The full matrix is converted into four Stokes vector [ 378 ] images and then a Fourier transform algorithm is applied to each of these images. [ 379 ]…”

“…[377] The full matrix is converted into four Stokes vector [378] images and then a Fourier transform algorithm is applied to each of these images. [379] Figure 20a shows an effective implementation of a multiparameter CIDS microscope also endowed of fluorescence capabilities. The illumination is implemented using a Ti-Sapphire microscope able to prime two-photon excitation fluorescence and at the very same time to generate a CIDS signal using a photoelastic modulator operating at the operating frequency 𝜔 and a lock-in amplifier selecting the 1 st and 2 nd harmonic signals at 𝜔 and 2𝜔.…”

Computational Modeling of Chromatin Fiber to Characterize Its Organization Using Angle-Resolved Scattering of Circularly Polarized Light

“…Measuring the scattered light from an object, we can infer the size, shape, birefringence, dichroism, and depolarization properties of the object [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The Mueller matrix contains all the properties of the sample under examination [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. It is a mathematical tool that relates the incident and the scattered light through the relation: , where is the scattered light Stokes vector, is the incident light Stokes vector, and is the Mueller matrix [ 20 ]: …”