Evaluating the resolution of conventional optical microscopes through point spread function measurement

Weihan Hou; Yangjie Wei

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107976

Evaluating the resolution of conventional optical microscopes through point spread function measurement

iScience. 2023 Sep 21;26(10):107976. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107976. eCollection 2023 Oct 20.

Authors

Weihan Hou¹, Yangjie Wei¹

Affiliation

¹ Key Laboratory of Intelligent Computing in Medical Image, Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Wenhua Street 3, Shenyang 110819, China.

Abstract

In the imaging process of conventional optical microscopy, the primary factor hindering microscope resolution is the energy diffusion of incident light, most directly described by the point spread function (PSF). Therefore, accurate calculation and measurement of PSF are essential for evaluating and enhancing imaging resolution. Currently, there are various methods to obtain PSFs, each with different advantages and disadvantages suitable for different scenarios. To provide a comprehensive analysis of PSF-obtaining methods, this study classifies them into four categories based on different acquisition principles and analyzes their advantages and disadvantages, starting from the propagation property of light in optical physics. Finally, two PSF-obtaining methods are proposed based on mathematical modeling and deep learning, demonstrating their effectiveness through experimental results. This study compares and analyzes these results, highlighting the practical applications of image deblurring.

Keywords: Optical imaging; Optics; Physics.

Publication types

Review