Most quantitative phase microscopy methods require the use of custom-built or modified microscopic configurations which are not typically available to most bio/pathologists. There are, however, phase retrieval algorithms which utilize defocused bright-field images as input data and are therefore implementable in existing laboratory environments. Among these, deterministic methods such as those based on inverting the transport-of-intensity equation (TIE) or a phase contrast transfer function (PCTF) are particularly attractive due to their compatibility with Köhler illuminated systems and numerical simplicity. Recently, a new method has been proposed, called multi-filter phase imaging with partially coherent light (MFPI-PC), which alleviates the inherent noise/resolution trade-off in solving the TIE by utilizing a large number of defocused bright-field images spaced equally about the focal plane. Despite greatly improving the state-ofthe- art, the method has many shortcomings including the impracticality of high-speed acquisition, inefficient sampling, and attenuated response at high frequencies due to aperture effects. In this report, we present a new method, called bright-field quantitative phase microscopy (BFQPM), which efficiently utilizes a small number of defocused bright-field images and recovers frequencies out to the partially coherent diffraction limit. The method is based on a noiseminimized inversion of a PCTF derived for each finite defocus distance. We present simulation results which indicate nanoscale optical path length sensitivity and improved performance over MFPI-PC. We also provide experimental results imaging live bovine mesenchymal stem cells at sub-second temporal resolution. In all, BFQPM enables fast and accurate phase imaging with unprecedented spatial resolution using widely available bright-field microscopy hardware.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.