Holographic pixel super-resolution in portable lensless on-chip microscopy using a fiber-optic array

Citation

Bishara, W., Sikora, U., Mudanyali, O., Su, T., Yaglidere, O., Luckhart, S., & Ozcan, A. (2011). Holographic pixel super-resolution in portable lensless on-chip microscopy using a fiber-optic array. Lab Chip, 11(7), 1276–1279. doi:10.1039/c0lc00684j

Keywords

• Holographic microscopy
• Pixel super-resolution
• Portable microscope
• Lensless on-chip microscopy
• Fiber-optic array
• Malaria diagnosis

Brief

A portable, lensless, on-chip microscope weighing ~95 g uses fiber-optic waveguides and a pixel super-resolution algorithm to achieve high-resolution (<1 μm) images over a wide field of view (~24 mm2).  

Summary

A portable, lensless, on-chip microscope uses holography and pixel super-resolution to achieve high resolution imaging over a wide field of view. The microscope weighs approximately 95 grams and is designed to be cost-effective and robust, making it suitable for use in resource-limited settings. Instead of lenses, the microscope uses an array of fiber-optic waveguides coupled to LEDs to illuminate the sample. The LEDs turn on and off sequentially to create multiple shifted holograms, which are then processed using a pixel super-resolution algorithm. This process generates a higher resolution hologram than would be possible with a single image. The microscope can achieve a resolution of less than 1 μm over a field of view of roughly 24 mm2. The researchers demonstrated the microscope's capabilities by imaging micro-patterns on glass and malaria parasites in blood smears. This technology has potential applications in disease diagnostics, blood tests, and water quality monitoring.

Origin: https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC3151573&blobtype=pdf