A method for observing a sample is provided, including illuminating the sample with a light source and forming a plurality of images, by an imager, the images representing the light transmitted by the sample in different spectral bands. From each image, a complex amplitude representative of the light wave transmitted by the sample is determined in a determined spectral band. The method further includes backpropagation of each complex amplitude in a plane passing through the sample, determining a weighting function from the back-propagated complex amplitudes, propagating the weighting function in a plane along which the matrix photodetector extends, updating each complex amplitude, in the plane of the sample, according to the weighting function propagated.

A device for extracting at least one object characteristic of an object (106) is presented, the device comprising: a light sensor (101) for recording a hologram of an object and a processing unit (102) coupled to the light sensor and configured for extracting at least one object characteristic from the hologram; wherein the processing unit is configured for extracting the at least one object characteristic from a section of the hologram without reconstructing an image representation of the object. Further, a device (200) for sorting an object (106), a method for identifying an object and a method for sorting objects is presented.

A method for defect inspection of a transparent substrate comprises (a) providing an optical system for performing a diffraction process of object wave passing through a transparent substrate, (b) interfering and wavefront recording for the diffracted object wave and a reference wave to reconstruct the defect complex images (including amplitude and phase) of the transparent substrate, (c) characteristics analyzing, features classifying and sieving for the defect complex images of the transparent substrate, and (d) creating defect complex images database based-on the defect complex images for comparison and detection of the defect complex images of the transparent substrate.

The invention is 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 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 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.

The disclosure features systems and methods for measuring and diagnosing target constituents bound to labeling particles in a sample. The systems include a radiation source, a sample holder, a detector configured to obtain one or more diffraction patterns of the sample each including information corresponding to optical properties of sample constituents, and an electronic processor configured to, for each of the one or more diffraction patterns: (a) analyze the diffraction pattern to obtain amplitude information and phase information corresponding to the sample constituents; (b) identify one or more particle-bound target sample constituents based on at least one of the amplitude information and the phase information; and (c) determine an amount of at least one of the particle-bound target sample constituents in the sample based on at least one of the amplitude information and the phase information.

A method of directing a wavefront of coherent radiation through a sample of objects in a suspension, capturing an interference pattern between the wavefront of coherent radiation and a wavefront of the diffracted by the object with an image sensor, numerically determining the focal plane of at least one object, and numerically reconstructing a de-focused image of the at least one object from the interference pattern in an image plane which is substantially parallel to the image sensor and in a plane with a predetermined offset from the focal plane. The method further includes identifying at least one portion in the defocused image corresponding to the at least one object in the sample, and calculating from each of said portions at least one feature of the corresponding object.

An apparatus for in-line holographic imaging is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes at least a first light source and a second light source arranged for illuminating an object arranged in the apparatus with a light beam. The apparatus also includes an image sensor arranged to detect at least a first and a second interference pattern, wherein the first interference pattern is formed when the object is illuminated by the first light source and the second interference pattern is formed when the object is illuminated by the second light source. The first and second interference patterns are formed by diffracted light, being scattered by the object, and undiffracted light of the light beam. The at least first and second light sources are arranged at different angles in relation to the object, and possibly illuminate the object using different wavelengths.

Both a hologram and fluorescence are simultaneously captured in a state in which they can be reconstructed separately. A recording device (10) includes: a laser light source (LS1) which irradiates a subject (13) with object illumination light so that object light is generated; and an image capturing device (12) which captures (i) a hologram formed by interference between reference light and object light and (ii) an image of fluorescence, and the object illumination light further excites a fluorescent material (14) contained in the subject (13).

The present invention relates to an arrangement for the generation of images of optical sections of a three-dimensional (3D) volume in space such as an object, scene, or target, comprising: an illumination unit, an optical arrangement for the imaging of the object onto at least one spatially resolving detector, a scanning mechanism for scanning the entire object and a signal processing unit for the implementation of a method for digital reconstruction of a three-dimensional representation of the object from images of said object as obtained by said detector (which may be in a form of a hologram), wherein the optical arrangement includes a diffractive optical element (herein a phase pinhole), realized using a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) configured to mimic an actual physical pinhole, while allowing the formation of a three-dimensional representation for a specific point of interest in said object, such that for each scanning position a single hologram or an image is recorded.

A new optical arrangement that creates high efficiency, high quality Fresnel Incoherent Correlation Holography (FINCH) holograms using transmission liquid crystal GRIN (TLCGRIN) diffractive lenses has been invented. This is in contrast to the universal practice in the field of using a reflective spatial light modulator (SLM) to separate sample and reference beams. Polarization sensitive TLCGRIN lenses enable a straight optical path, have 95% transmission efficiency, are analog devices without pixels and are free of many limitations of reflective SLM devices. An additional advantage is that they create an incoherent holographic system that is achromatic over a wide bandwidth. Two spherical beams created by the combination of a glass and a polarization sensitive TLCGRIN lenses interfere and a hologram is recorded by a digital camera. FINCH configurations which increase signal to noise ratios and imaging speed are also described.