The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) is a peer reviewed, PubMed-indexed video journal. Our mission is to increase the productivity of scientific research.

Recommend to Librarian

In JoVE (1)

Other Publications (18)

Articles by Waheb Bishara in JoVE

 JoVE Bioengineering

Lensfree On-chip Tomographic Microscopy Employing Multi-angle Illumination and Pixel Super-resolution


JoVE 4161 8/16/2012

1Electrical Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, 2Bioengineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, 3California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

Lensfree optical tomography is a three-dimensional microscopy technique that offers a spatial resolution of <1 μm × <1 μm × <3 μm in x, y and z dimensions, respectively, over a large imaging-volume of 15-100 mm3, which can be particularly useful for integration with lab-on-a-chip platforms.

Other articles by Waheb Bishara on PubMed

Non-Abelian Anyon Superconductivity

Non-Abelian anyons exist in certain spin models and may exist in quantum Hall systems at certain filling fractions. In this work, we studied the ground state of dynamical SU(2) level-kappa Chern-Simons non-Abelian anyons at finite density and no external magnetic field. We find that, in the large-kappa limit, the topological interaction induces a pairing instability and the ground state is a superconductor with d+id gap symmetry. We also develop a picture of pairing for the special value kappa=2 and argue that the ground state is a superfluid of pairs for all values of kappa.

Multichannel Kondo Models in Non-Abelian Quantum Hall Droplets

We study the coupling between a quantum dot and the edge of a non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall state which is spatially separated from it by an integer quantum Hall state. Near a resonance, the physics at energy scales below the level spacing of the edge states of the dot is governed by a k-channel Kondo model when the quantum Hall state is a Read-Rezayi state at filling fraction nu=2+k/(k+2) or its particle-hole conjugate at nu=2+2/(k+2). The k-channel Kondo model is channel isotropic even without fine-tuning in the former state; in the latter, it is generically channel anisotropic. In the special case of k=2, our results provide a new venue, realized in a mesoscopic context, to distinguish between the Pfaffian and anti-Pfaffian states at filling fraction nu=5/2.

Color and Monochrome Lensless On-chip Imaging of Caenorhabditis Elegans over a Wide Field-of-view

We demonstrate color and monochrome on-chip imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans samples over a wide field-of-view using incoherent lensless in-line holography. Digital reconstruction of the recorded lensless holograms rapidly creates the C. elegans images within <1 s over a field-of-view of >24 mm2. By digitally combining the reconstructed images at three different wavelengths (red, green and blue), color images of dyed samples are also acquired. This wide field-of-view and compact on-chip imaging modality also permits straightforward integration with microfluidic systems.

Compact, Light-weight and Cost-effective Microscope Based on Lensless Incoherent Holography for Telemedicine Applications

Despite the rapid progress in optical imaging, most of the advanced microscopy modalities still require complex and costly set-ups that unfortunately limit their use beyond well equipped laboratories. In the meantime, microscopy in resource-limited settings has requirements significantly different from those encountered in advanced laboratories, and such imaging devices should be cost-effective, compact, light-weight and appropriately accurate and simple to be usable by minimally trained personnel. Furthermore, these portable microscopes should ideally be digitally integrated as part of a telemedicine network that connects various mobile health-care providers to a central laboratory or hospital. Toward this end, here we demonstrate a lensless on-chip microscope weighing approximately 46 grams with dimensions smaller than 4.2 cm x 4.2 cm x 5.8 cm that achieves sub-cellular resolution over a large field of view of approximately 24 mm(2). This compact and light-weight microscope is based on digital in-line holography and does not need any lenses, bulky optical/mechanical components or coherent sources such as lasers. Instead, it utilizes a simple light-emitting-diode (LED) and a compact opto-electronic sensor-array to record lensless holograms of the objects, which then permits rapid digital reconstruction of regular transmission or differential interference contrast (DIC) images of the objects. Because this lensless incoherent holographic microscope has orders-of-magnitude improved light collection efficiency and is very robust to mechanical misalignments it may offer a cost-effective tool especially for telemedicine applications involving various global health problems in resource limited settings.

High-throughput Lens-free Blood Analysis on a Chip

We present a detailed investigation of the performance of lens-free holographic microscopy toward high-throughput on-chip blood analysis. Using a spatially incoherent source that is emanating from a large aperture, automated counting of red blood cells with minimal sample preparation steps at densities reaching up to approximately 0.4 x 10(6) cells/muL is presented. Using the same lens-free holographic microscopy platform, we also characterize the volume of the red blood cells at the single-cell level through recovery of the optical phase information of each cell. We further demonstrate the measurement of the hemoglobin concentration of whole blood samples as well as automated counting of white blood cells, also yielding spatial resolution at the subcellular level sufficient to differentiate granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes from each other. These results uncover the prospects of lens-free holographic on-chip imaging to provide a useful tool for global health problems, especially by facilitating whole blood analysis in resource-poor environments.

Multi-angle Lensless Digital Holography for Depth Resolved Imaging on a Chip

A multi-angle lensfree holographic imaging platform that can accurately characterize both the axial and lateral positions of cells located within multi-layered micro-channels is introduced. In this platform, lensfree digital holograms of the micro-objects on the chip are recorded at different illumination angles using partially coherent illumination. These digital holograms start to shift laterally on the sensor plane as the illumination angle of the source is tilted. Since the exact amount of this lateral shift of each object hologram can be calculated with an accuracy that beats the diffraction limit of light, the height of each cell from the substrate can be determined over a large field of view without the use of any lenses. We demonstrate the proof of concept of this multi-angle lensless imaging platform by using light emitting diodes to characterize various sized microparticles located on a chip with sub-micron axial and lateral localization over approximately 60 mm(2) field of view. Furthermore, we successfully apply this lensless imaging approach to simultaneously characterize blood samples located at multi-layered micro-channels in terms of the counts, individual thicknesses and the volumes of the cells at each layer. Because this platform does not require any lenses, lasers or other bulky optical/mechanical components, it provides a compact and high-throughput alternative to conventional approaches for cytometry and diagnostics applications involving lab on a chip systems.

Lensfree On-chip Microscopy over a Wide Field-of-view Using Pixel Super-resolution

We demonstrate lensfree holographic microscopy on a chip to achieve approximately 0.6 microm spatial resolution corresponding to a numerical aperture of approximately 0.5 over a large field-of-view of approximately 24 mm2. By using partially coherent illumination from a large aperture (approximately 50 microm), we acquire lower resolution lensfree in-line holograms of the objects with unit fringe magnification. For each lensfree hologram, the pixel size at the sensor chip limits the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image. To circumvent this limitation, we implement a sub-pixel shifting based super-resolution algorithm to effectively recover much higher resolution digital holograms of the objects, permitting sub-micron spatial resolution to be achieved across the entire sensor chip active area, which is also equivalent to the imaging field-of-view (24 mm2) due to unit magnification. We demonstrate the success of this pixel super-resolution approach by imaging patterned transparent substrates, blood smear samples, as well as Caenoharbditis Elegans.

Holographic Opto-fluidic Microscopy

Over the last decade microfluidics has created a versatile platform that has significantly advanced the ways in which micro-scale organisms and objects are controlled, processed and investigated, by improving the cost, compactness and throughput aspects of analysis. Microfluidics has also expanded into optics to create reconfigurable and flexible optical devices such as reconfigurable lenses, lasers, waveguides, switches, and on-chip microscopes. Here we present a new opto-fluidic microscopy modality, i.e., Holographic Opto-fluidic Microscopy (HOM), based on lensless holographic imaging. This imaging modality complements the miniaturization provided by microfluidics and would allow the integration of microscopy into existing on-chip microfluidic devices with various functionalities. Our imaging modality utilizes partially coherent in-line holography and pixel super-resolution to create high-resolution amplitude and phase images of the objects flowing within micro-fluidic channels, which we demonstrate by imaging C. elegans, Giardia lamblia, and Mulberry pollen. HOM does not involve complicated fabrication processes or precise alignment, nor does it require a highly uniform flow of objects within microfluidic channels.

Holographic Pixel Super-resolution in Portable Lensless On-chip Microscopy Using a Fiber-optic Array

We report a portable lensless on-chip microscope that can achieve <1 µm resolution over a wide field-of-view of ∼ 24 mm(2) without the use of any mechanical scanning. This compact on-chip microscope weighs ∼ 95 g and is based on partially coherent digital in-line holography. Multiple fiber-optic waveguides are butt-coupled to light emitting diodes, which are controlled by a low-cost micro-controller to sequentially illuminate the sample. The resulting lensfree holograms are then captured by a digital sensor-array and are rapidly processed using a pixel super-resolution algorithm to generate much higher resolution holographic images (both phase and amplitude) of the objects. This wide-field and high-resolution on-chip microscope, being compact and light-weight, would be important for global health problems such as diagnosis of infectious diseases in remote locations. Toward this end, we validate the performance of this field-portable microscope by imaging human malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) in thin blood smears. Our results constitute the first-time that a lensfree on-chip microscope has successfully imaged malaria parasites.

Lens-free Optical Tomographic Microscope with a Large Imaging Volume on a Chip

We present a lens-free optical tomographic microscope, which enables imaging a large volume of approximately 15 mm(3) on a chip, with a spatial resolution of < 1 μm × < 1 μm × < 3 μm in x, y and z dimensions, respectively. In this lens-free tomography modality, the sample is placed directly on a digital sensor array with, e.g., ≤ 4 mm distance to its active area. A partially coherent light source placed approximately 70 mm away from the sensor is employed to record lens-free in-line holograms of the sample from different viewing angles. At each illumination angle, multiple subpixel shifted holograms are also recorded, which are digitally processed using a pixel superresolution technique to create a single high-resolution hologram of each angular projection of the object. These superresolved holograms are digitally reconstructed for an angular range of ± 50°, which are then back-projected to compute tomograms of the sample. In order to minimize the artifacts due to limited angular range of tilted illumination, a dual-axis tomography scheme is adopted, where the light source is rotated along two orthogonal axes. Tomographic imaging performance is quantified using microbeads of different dimensions, as well as by imaging wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans. Probing a large volume with a decent 3D spatial resolution, this lens-free optical tomography platform on a chip could provide a powerful tool for high-throughput imaging applications in, e.g., cell and developmental biology.

Field-portable Lensfree Tomographic Microscope

We present a field-portable lensfree tomographic microscope, which can achieve sectional imaging of a large volume (∼20 mm(3)) on a chip with an axial resolution of <7 μm. In this compact tomographic imaging platform (weighing only ∼110 grams), 24 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are each butt-coupled to a fibre-optic waveguide are controlled through a cost-effective micro-processor to sequentially illuminate the sample from different angles to record lensfree holograms of the sample that is placed on the top of a digital sensor array. In order to generate pixel super-resolved (SR) lensfree holograms and hence digitally improve the achievable lateral resolution, multiple sub-pixel shifted holograms are recorded at each illumination angle by electromagnetically actuating the fibre-optic waveguides using compact coils and magnets. These SR projection holograms obtained over an angular range of ±50° are rapidly reconstructed to yield projection images of the sample, which can then be back-projected to compute tomograms of the objects on the sensor-chip. The performance of this compact and light-weight lensfree tomographic microscope is validated by imaging micro-beads of different dimensions as well as a Hymenolepis nana egg, which is an infectious parasitic flatworm. Achieving a decent three-dimensional spatial resolution, this field-portable on-chip optical tomographic microscope might provide a useful toolset for telemedicine and high-throughput imaging applications in resource-poor settings.

Optofluidic Tomography on a Chip

Using lensfree holography we demonstrate optofluidic tomography on a chip. A partially coherent light source is utilized to illuminate the objects flowing within a microfluidic channel placed directly on a digital sensor array. The light source is rotated to record lensfree holograms of the objects at different viewing directions. By capturing multiple frames at each illumination angle, pixel super-resolution techniques are utilized to reconstruct high-resolution transmission images at each angle. Tomograms of flowing objects are then computed through filtered back-projection of these reconstructed lensfree images, thereby enabling optical sectioning on-a-chip. The proof-of-concept is demonstrated by lensfree tomographic imaging of C. elegans.

Lensfree Optofluidic Microscopy and Tomography

Microfluidic devices aim at miniaturizing, automating, and lowering the cost of chemical and biological sample manipulation and detection, hence creating new opportunities for lab-on-a-chip platforms. Recently, optofluidic devices have also emerged where optics is used to enhance the functionality and the performance of microfluidic components in general. Lensfree imaging within microfluidic channels is one such optofluidic platform, and in this article, we focus on the holographic implementation of lensfree optofluidic microscopy and tomography, which might provide a simpler and more powerful solution for three-dimensional (3D) on-chip imaging. This lensfree optofluidic imaging platform utilizes partially coherent digital in-line holography to allow phase and amplitude imaging of specimens flowing through micro-channels, and takes advantage of the fluidic flow to achieve higher spatial resolution imaging compared to a stationary specimen on the same chip. In addition to this, 3D tomographic images of the same samples can also be reconstructed by capturing lensfree projection images of the samples at various illumination angles as a function of the fluidic flow. Based on lensfree digital holographic imaging, this optofluidic microscopy and tomography concept could be valuable especially for providing a compact, yet powerful toolset for lab-on-a-chip devices.

Lensfree Super-resolution Holographic Microscopy Using Wetting Films on a Chip

We investigate the use of wetting films to significantly improve the imaging performance of lensfree pixel super-resolution on-chip microscopy, achieving < 1 µm spatial resolution over a large imaging area of ~24 mm(2). Formation of an ultra-thin wetting film over the specimen effectively creates a micro-lens effect over each object, which significantly improves the signal-to-noise-ratio and therefore the resolution of our lensfree images. We validate the performance of this approach through lensfree on-chip imaging of various objects having fine morphological features (with dimensions of e.g., ≤0.5 µm) such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), human sperm, Giardia lamblia trophozoites, polystyrene micro beads as well as red blood cells. These results are especially important for the development of highly sensitive field-portable microscopic analysis tools for resource limited settings.

Partially Coherent Lensfree Tomographic Microscopy [Invited]

Optical sectioning of biological specimens provides detailed volumetric information regarding their internal structure. To provide a complementary approach to existing three-dimensional (3D) microscopy modalities, we have recently demonstrated lensfree optical tomography that offers high-throughput imaging within a compact and simple platform. In this approach, in-line holograms of objects at different angles of partially coherent illumination are recorded using a digital sensor-array, which enables computing pixel super-resolved tomographic images of the specimen. This imaging modality, which forms the focus of this review, offers micrometer-scale 3D resolution over large imaging volumes of, for example, 10-15 mm(3), and can be assembled in light weight and compact architectures. Therefore, lensfree optical tomography might be particularly useful for lab-on-a-chip applications as well as for microscopy needs in resource-limited settings.

Portable and Cost-effective Pixel Super-resolution On-chip Microscope for Telemedicine Applications

We report a field-portable lensless on-chip microscope with a lateral resolution of <1μm and a large field-of-view of ∼24mm(2). This microscope is based on digital in-line holography and a pixel super-resolution algorithm to process multiple lensfree holograms and obtain a single high-resolution hologram. In its compact and cost-effective design, we utilize 23 light emitting diodes butt-coupled to 23 multi-mode optical fibers, and a simple optical filter, with no moving parts. Weighing only ∼95 grams, we demonstrate the performance of this field-portable microscope by imaging various objects including human malaria parasites in thin blood smears.

Optofluidic On-chip Tomography

The first demonstration of optofluidic tomography is presented. Using partially coherent illumination, holograms of objects are recorded at multiple viewing angles, as they flow through a microfluidic channel placed directly on the top of an opto-electronic sensor array. These lensfree holograms are then digitally processed to compute pixel super-resolved tomograms of micro-objects to achieve sectional opto-fluidic imaging on a chip.

Lensfree Computational Microscopy Tools for Cell and Tissue Imaging at the Point-of-care and in Low-resource Settings

The recent revolution in digital technologies and information processing methods present important opportunities to transform the way optical imaging is performed, particularly toward improving the throughput of microscopes while at the same time reducing their relative cost and complexity. Lensfree computational microscopy is rapidly emerging toward this end, and by discarding lenses and other bulky optical components of conventional imaging systems, and relying on digital computation instead, it can achieve both reflection and transmission mode microscopy over a large field-of-view within compact, cost-effective and mechanically robust architectures. Such high throughput and miniaturized imaging devices can provide a complementary toolset for telemedicine applications and point-of-care diagnostics by facilitating complex and critical tasks such as cytometry and microscopic analysis of e.g., blood smears, Pap tests and tissue samples. In this article, the basics of these lensfree microscopy modalities will be reviewed, and their clinically relevant applications will be discussed.

Waiting
simple hit counter