A system for analyzing a transparent particle including: an analysis pathway, including a first light source emitting an analysis light beam, and a first optical system focusing the analysis light beam in a focusing plane; and a position control pathway including a second light source, an image sensor, and a second optical system at least partially merged with the first optical system. The image sensor is offset relative to the image of the focusing plane by the second optical system. The system makes it possible to control correct positioning of the particle, even though it is transparent, and without disturbing the analysis pathway.

According to one embodiment, a beam splitter splits light into first light and second light. The second light is used to irradiate a sample containing particles. A first imaging device images a first interference pattern formed by multiplexing third light, which has been generated by irradiating the particles with the second light, and the first light. A second imaging device images a second interference pattern formed by the third light. An arithmetic device compares a composite image with a calculated image. The composite image is created by using a first interference image picked up by the first imaging device and a second interference image picked up by the second imaging device. The calculated image is obtained by combining single particle interference images, each of which is expected to be obtained by the first imaging device in a case where a particle is present alone in the sample.

Method and system for lensless, shadow optical imaging. Formation of a hologram shadow image having higher spatial resolution and lower noise level is accomplished by processing image information contained in multiple individual hologram shadow image frames acquired either under conditions of relative shift between point light source and the detector of the system or under stationary conditions, when system remains fixed in space and is devoid of any relative movement during the process of acquisition of individual image frames.

According to an embodiment, a holographic microscope comprises a light source, an optical system splitting light emitted from the light source into an object and a reflective mirror and inducing interference between light reflected by the object or transmitted through the object and light reflected by the reflective mirror, a first image sensor receiving the interference light and sensing interference information for the interference light, a second image sensor receiving the light reflected by the object or transmitted through the object and sensing information for the received light, and an image processor deriving a shape of the object based on the interference information sensed by the first image sensor and the information sensed by the second image sensor.

A method allowing particles to be tracked in a moving fluid, via an optical method. The particles are in motion in a fluidic chamber. An image of the fluidic chamber is acquired, so as to obtain three-dimensional positions of particles in the fluidic chamber at a first time. Three-dimensional positions of 10 particles at a second time are also obtained, the second time being subsequent to the first time. On the basis of the obtained three-dimensional positions, potential movements of particles, between said times, are established. On the basis of a model of movement of the particles, potential movements are validated. The validated movements allow the particles in the fluid to be counted. In addition, if 15 the particles are of different nature, the movement model may comprise a component of movement of the particles with respect to the fluid that is characteristic of this difference. Determining this component then allows the particles to be characterized.

Systems, devices, and methods are described herein for performing digital holography to analyze dynamics of fluid flow. According to some aspects of this disclosure, a Digital Fresnel Reflection Holography (DFRH) system, which is arranged to utilize light backscattered from particles in a fluid chamber to create a hologram that may be processed to analyze characteristics of fluid flow. The DFRH system may utilize light reflected from an imaging window disposed between a light source and a sampling volume, to be analyzed as a reference wave, to form an interference pattern and resultant hologram. According to some aspects of this disclosure, the DFRH techniques may provide simple, cost-effective mechanisms with improved performance over other techniques for analyzing fluid flow using holography.

Imaging apparatus and methods using diffraction-based illumination are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a diffraction grating to redirect light from a light source toward a sample to thereby illuminate the sample. The example apparatus also includes an image sensor to detect a diffraction pattern created by the illuminated sample.

There are provided an image processing device and a processing method thereof. The image processing method includes obtaining an interference signal using a sample beam and a reference beam, transforming the interference signal by using a numerical signal processing method or an intensity mixing method to generate a transformed interference signal, and obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) phase image by using the interference signal and the transformed interference signal.

The present disclosure discloses an imaging system, method, and apparatus for identifying information of a hidden object. A light source generates a first beam of narrow-band light and a second beam of narrow-band light that has temporal fluctuations correlated with the first beam. The first beam is directed towards a first scattering surface and the second beam is directed towards a second scattering surface. The first scattering surface scatters the first beam to a scattered light that illuminates a hidden object, the hidden object reflects at least a portion of the scattered light towards the second scattering surface, the reflected light interferes with the second beam and produces an interference pattern on the second scattering surface. An image sensor detects irradiance of the interference pattern on the second scattering surface. An image processor calculates a complex-valued light field that represents information of the hidden object based on the detected irradiance of the interference pattern on the second scattering surface.

Example embodiments relate to methods and imaging systems for holographic imaging. One embodiment includes a method for holographic imaging of an object. The method includes driving a laser using a current which is below a threshold current of the laser. The method also includes illuminating the object using illumination light output by the laser. Further, the method includes detecting an interference pattern formed by object light, having interacted with the object, and reference light of the illumination light.