A microscopy method for acquiring polarization-sensitive phase information in 3D

Unmet Need

The majority of biological research and clinical diagnostics has involved the use of optical imaging systems for transparent specimens that rely on scalar properties like phase contrast. These systems have proved useful for studying cellular behavior like neuronal firing and the molecular arrangement of lipid membranes. However, it remains difficult to image large-field specimens of large thickness while retaining resolution. A large amount of information can be extracted through polarization-sensitive microscopes that capture anisotropic properties of transparent biological samples like material birefringence and orientation, and these information are largely untapped with current optical phase imaging systems. Computationally integrating polarization information can be used to reconstruct high-resolution 3D images of thick tissues useful for imaging clinical samples and small model organisms. To date, there are relatively few microscopic techniques that can capture both quantitative phase and anisotropy across large 3D volumes, with none providing tomographic reconstructions.

Technology

Duke inventors have developed a high-resolution microscopy method using Fourier Ptychography. This is intended to be used by research laboratories and/or hospitals in imaging tissues, organs, and pathological samples requiring 3D resolution to motivate decision-making. It would be most useful in disease contexts where fine structures can indicate particular pathological traits, such as in skeletal myopathies. Specifically, the microscopy device images a specimen from multiple angles using polarized light and reconstructs the specimen computationally to acquire 3D resolution images. This has been demonstrated on 3D specimens such as potato starch grains, muscle fibers, as well as cardiac tissue where amyloidosis was clearly identified using this technique. The next stage of development is to discern how quantitative metrics can be ascertained from this technique which correlate to patient disease status and support diagnostics.

Advantages

• Label-free method allows for minimal processing of sample prior to imaging
• First-in-class microscopy method that integrates quantitative phase and anisotropic information
• Setup utilizes standard microscopy equipment available in most labs and hospitals