In one embodiment, a self-interference incoherent digital holography system including a light sensor and a diffractive filter configured to receive light from an object to be holographically imaged and generate holographic interference patterns on the light sensor. A self-interference incoherent digital holography system comprising: a light sensor; and a diffractive filter configured to receive light from an object to be holographically imaged and generate holographic interference patterns on the sensor.

Disclosed are optical interrogation apparatus that can produce lens-free images using an optoelectronic sensor array to generate a holographic image of sample objects, such as microorganisms in a sample. Also disclosed are methods of detecting and/or identifying microorganisms in a biological sample, such as microorganisms present in low levels. Also disclosed are methods of using systems to detect microorganisms in a biological sample, such as microorganisms present in low levels. In addition or as an alternative, the methods of using systems may identify microorganisms present in a sample and/or determine antimicrobial susceptibility of such microorganisms.

The present invention can realize both a transmission type and a reflection type, and provides a holographic microscope which can exceed the resolution of the conventional optical microscope, a hologram data acquisition method for a high-resolution image, and a high-resolution hologram image reconstruction method. In-line spherical wave reference light (L) is recorded in a hologram (I.sub.LR) using spherical wave reference light (R), and an object light (O.sup.j) and an illumination light (Q.sup.j) are recorded in a hologram (I.sup.j.sub.OQR) using a spherical wave reference light (R) by illuminating the object with an illumination light (Q.sup.j, j=1, . . . , N) which is changed its incident direction. From those holograms, a hologram (J.sup.j.sub.OQL), from which the component of the reference light (R) is removed, is generated, and from the hologram, a light wave (h.sup.j) is generated. A light wave (c.sup.j) of the illumination light (Q.sup.j) is separated from the light wave (h.sup.j), and using its phase component (.sup.j=c.sup.j/|c.sup.j|), a phase adjustment reconstruction light wave is derived and added up as (H.sub.P=h.sup.j/.sup.j), and an object image (S.sub.P=|H.sub.P|.sup.2) is reconstructed.

The invention relates to a method for observing a sample, in particular an anatomopathological slide formed from a thin thickness of a sampled biological tissue. It includes a step of illuminating the sample with a light source and acquiring, with an image sensor, an image representing the light transmitted by the sample. The image undergoes holographic reconstruction, so as to obtain a representation, in the plane of the sample, of the light wave transmitted by the latter. The method includes applying an impregnating fluid to the sample, such that the sample is impregnated with said impregnating liquid, said impregnating liquid having a refractive index strictly higher than 1.

This method for characterizing a state of adhesion of the particles is applied via a system including a source of spatially coherent light and a photodetector array, the particles being contained in a liquid medium, the liquid medium being delimited by a transparent surface, the particles being able to adhere to the transparent surface. The method includes: illuminating the medium with the source of spatially coherent light; acquiring at least one image by the photodetector array, the image being formed by radiation transmitted by the illuminated medium and including at least one elementary diffraction pattern, each elementary diffraction pattern corresponding to waves diffracted by a particle during the illumination of the medium; and computing, from at least one acquired image and for at least one particle, a primary indicator characterizing the state of adhesion of the particle to the transparent surface.

The method is provided for characterizing agglomeration of particles in a liquid containing an analyte, including introducing liquid into a fluid chamber; mixing the liquid with a bifunctional reagent, lighting the fluid chamber using an excitation light beam extending through the fluid chamber in a longitudinal direction (X); acquiring at least one image using a matrix photodetector, each image including pixels (I.sub.n(x,y), x,y representing the coordinates of a pixel of an image, the image (I(x,y)) being formed by radiation transmitted by the lighted fluid chamber; and calculating from at least one acquired image (I(x,y)), at least one indicator (Ind2) characterizing the particle agglomeration. The photodetector can be positioned less than 1 cm from the fluid chamber, and during the calculation step, the calculated indicator (Ind2) is representative of the intensity of the pixels of the image. The method advantageously allows for characterizing the agglomeration of particles in a liquid.

Embodiments described herein relate to lens-free imaging. One example embodiment may include a lens-free imaging device for imaging a moving sample. The lens-free imaging device may include a radiation source configured to emit a set of at least two different wavelengths towards the moving sample. The lens-free imaging device is configured to image samples for which a spectral response does not substantially vary for a set of at least two different wavelengths. The lens-free imaging device may also include a line scanner configured to obtain a line scan per wavelength emitted by the radiation source and reflected by, scattered by, or transmitted through the moving sample. The line scanner is configured to regularly obtain a line scan per wavelength. Either the radiation source or the line scanner is configured to isolate data of the at least two different wavelengths.

A system for recording a digital hologram of an object comprises: a coherent source intended to illuminate the object and thus produce a wave diffracted by the object; and a digital sensor intended to record the digital hologram of the object. It furthermore comprises a spatial phase modulating assembly able to produce in the plane of the sensor a plurality of duplicates of the wave diffracted by the object, the duplicates being offset from each other but overlapping partially, these duplicates forming on the sensor a digital hologram of the object, this hologram being what is referred to as a self-reference hologram.

A hologram image acquiring apparatus may include: a linear polarizer that filters incident light reflected by an object into a polarized component of a specific angle; a spherical lens that partially converts light that is incident through the linear polarizer to a spherical waveform; and a phase shifter that converts a part of the light incident through the spherical lens to a plane waveform having a different phase per pixel unit.

A digital holography device of an embodiment of the present invention includes: an image sensing device which records, in an image sensor and on the basis of an object, a plurality of holograms that correspond to respective different photographic exposure values; and a computer which (i) generates a high dynamic range hologram, which includes pieces of information ranging from low luminance information to high luminance information, by synthesizing the plurality of holograms recorded and (ii) generates a reconstructed image of the object by performing arithmetic processing of phase-shift interferometry, diffraction calculation, and/or the like on the basis of the high dynamic range hologram.