Three-dimensional real-time darkfield imaging through Fourier lightfield microscopy

Opt Express. 2020 Oct 12;28(21):30513-30519. doi: 10.1364/OE.404961.

Abstract

We report a protocol that takes advantage of the Fourier lightfield microscopy concept for providing 3D darkfield images of volumetric samples in a single-shot. This microscope takes advantage of the Fourier lightfield configuration, in which a lens array is placed at the Fourier plane of the microscope objective, providing a direct multiplexing of the spatio-angular information of the sample. Using the proper illumination beam, the system collects the light scattered by the sample while the background light is blocked out. This produces a set of orthographic perspective images with shifted spatial-frequency components that can be recombined to produce a 3D darkfield image. Applying the adequate reconstruction algorithm high-contrast darkfield optical sections are calculated in real time. The presented method is applied for fast volumetric reconstructions of unstained 3D samples.