Engineered light waves enable rapid recording of 3D microscope images


Date:
March 8, 2022
Source:
Tohoku University
Summary:
Researchers have developed a new method for rapid 3D
imaging. Instead of having to scan repeatedly in 2D, the researchers
proposed a one-scan technique that uses a light needle to process
at depth and laterally.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A newly proposed technique enables rapid 3D image acquisition. One-scan
is a technique involving an elongated light spot that resembles a "needle" which captures three-dimensional (3D) images of a specimen.


==========================================================================
The new method, which was developed by researchers from Tohoku University
and Osaka University, can rapidly take 3D images without moving the
observation plane -- something necessary in conventional laser scanning microscopes.

Light microscopy is ubiquitous and vital for various fields including
life science and medical diagnosis. As many biological cells or tissues
are structurally complex, 3D observation is crucial. Laser scanning
microscopy is a representative and well-established approach that enables
3D observation by scanning a focal spot on the sample. One major issue
is its time-consuming procedure because it involves repeated 2D image acquisition that requires changing the observation plane.

The researchers used a laser spot elongated along the axial direction,
referred to as "light needle," as illumination in laser scanning
microscopy. In general, the use of such a light needle is a common
approach that produces deep-focus images capturing the extended depth
range of specimens without blurring.

However, this approach only provides a 2D image, which does not include
any depth information of a specimen.

The solution proposed by the researchers was manipulating fluorescence
signals emitted from specimens through a technique based on
computer-generated holography (CGH). They devised a hologram to be
applied to fluorescence emitted from different depth positions inside
the sample. This hologram was designed to produce laterally shifted and spatially separated images at the detector plane depending on the depth position of objects. With this technique, the depth information can be
recorded as the lateral information simultaneously, allowing for the construction of 3D images without changing the observation plane.

Using this principle, the researchers developed a microscope system
equipped with a spatial light modulator, a computer-controlled apparatus
to project the CGH. The developed microscope system constructed a 3D
image from a single 2D scanning of a light needle for the depth range
of 20 microns. This system recorded 3D movies of dynamical motions of micron-sized beads suspended in water, something rarely achieved by
existing laser scanning microscopes.

The researchers also demonstrated the prompt 3D image acquisition for
thick biological samples with a speed more than ten times as fast as
the conventional technique. The proposed technique will notably speed up
image acquisition in various research and industrial fields, where the
3D image observation and evaluation are essential. The researchers are
now planning to further extend the applicability of the proposed method
to downsized systems, targeting its use in practical applications.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Tohoku_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Related Multimedia:
* Illustration_of_axially_resolved_detection_realized_by_wavefront
engineering_for_light_needle_microscopy ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Yuichi Kozawa, Tomoya Nakamura, Yuuki Uesugi, Shunichi
Sato. Wavefront
engineered light needle microscopy for axially resolved rapid
volumetric imaging. Biomedical Optics Express, 2022; 13 (3):
1702 DOI: 10.1364/ BOE.449329 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220308102810.htm

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