Short-coherence off-axis holographic phase microscopy of live cell dynamics

Biomed Opt Express. 2012 Sep 1;3(9):2184-9. doi: 10.1364/BOE.3.002184. Epub 2012 Aug 22.

Abstract

We demonstrate a single-shot holographic phase microscope that combines short-coherence laser pulses with an off-axis geometry. By introducing a controlled pulse front tilt, ultrashort pulses are made to interfere over a large field-of-view without loss of fringe contrast. With this microscope, quantitative phase images of live cells can be recorded in a full-field geometry without moving parts. We perform phase imaging of HEK293 cells, to study the dynamics of cell volume regulation in response to an osmotic shock.

Keywords: (090.1995) Digital holography; (110.0110) Imaging systems; (170.1530) Cell analysis; (170.1650) Coherence imaging; (320.7160) Ultrafast technology.