A light-sheet microscope compatible with mobile devices for label-free intracellular imaging and biosensing

Lab Chip. 2014 Sep 7;14(17):3341-8. doi: 10.1039/c4lc00257a.

Abstract

The inner structure, especially the nuclear structure, of cells carries valuable information about disease and health conditions of a person. Here we demonstrate a label-free technique to enable direct observations and measurements of the size, shape and morphology of the cell nucleus. With a microfabricated lens and a commercial CMOS imager, we form a scanning light-sheet microscope to produce a dark-field optical scattering image of the cell nucleus that overlays with the bright-field image produced in a separate regime of the same CMOS sensor. We have used the device to detect nuclear features that characterize the life cycle of cells and have used the nucleus volume as a new parameter for cell classification. The device can be developed into a portable, low-cost, point-of-care device leveraging the capabilities of the CMOS imagers to be pervasive in mobile electronics.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biosensing Techniques*
  • Leukocytes
  • Microcomputers*
  • Microscopy / methods*