Quantitative retardance imaging of biological samples using quadriwave lateral shearing interferometry

Abstract

We describe a new technique based on the use of a high-resolution quadri-wave lateral shearing interferometer to perform quantitative linear retardance and birefringence measurements on biological samples. The system combines quantitative phase images with varying polarization excitation to create retardance images. This technique is compatible with living samples and gives information about the local retardance and structure of their anisotropic components. We applied our approach to collagen fibers leading to a birefringence value of (3.4 ± 0.3) · 10(-3) and to living cells, showing that cytoskeleton can be imaged label-free.

Living cell dry mass measurement using quantitative phase imaging with quadriwave lateral shearing interferometry: an accuracy and sensitivity discussion

“…27 This value can be compared with the 10 nm resolution of the spiral phase technique, 28 with the 5 nm resolution of digital holography techniques, 29,30 and with the 0.7 nm resolution of FPM. If the noise is white, the temporal and spatial noise should be equal.…”

Multi-wavelength quantitative polarization and phase microscope

“…Then the phase is calculated using Eq. (11). The wrapped phase of the liquid crystal in the R, G and B channels are shown in Figs.…”

“…Similarly, quantitative polarized light microscopy [7][8][9][10] has been developed to acquire the birefringence information. Recently methods that combine quantitative phase and birefringence measurement in a single system have been proposed in [11,12]. In all these methods, the phase or birefringence information was measured with a single wavelength.…”

Non Invasive Live Cell Cycle Monitoring using Quantitative Phase Imaging and Proximal Machine Learning Methods

“…The optical phase difference measured when photons exit a biological sample is a direct reflection of the dry mass present in the sample being analyzed. It has been shown for example that the mass increase associated with cellular cell cycle progression (2N toward 4N chromosomes) can be accurately determined [1]. In addition, the characteristic cell rounding associated to late G2 phase is also easily detected by QPI.…”