The inventors have discovered a method to improve image quality in holography and, for the first time, utilize lenses made from birefringent materials to advantageously split an incoming beam of either coherent or incoherent light into two coincident beams with different focal lengths that interfere with one another and thus create holograms free of electro-optical or pixelated devices. This discovery has many advantages over current methods to create holograms in which many components, including multiple lenses, other electro-optical devices, and/or beam paths are necessary to create holograms. The current invention provides a purely optical holographic process which has better performance and holographic simplicity, in addition to being able to miniaturize holographic processes more than is currently possible in state of the art holography systems.

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.

This method for detecting at least one particle in a bodily fluid is carried out via a detection system including a light source, a transparent substrate and a photodetector array, the substrate being positioned between the light source and the photodetector. This method includes the placement of a droplet of bodily fluid on the substrate, the illumination of the droplet via the light source, the acquisition of several successive images of the droplet via the photodetector, each image being formed by radiation transmitted by the illuminated droplet and including at least one elementary diffraction pattern, each elementary diffraction pattern corresponding to waves diffracted by a particle upon illumination of the droplet, the identification, via the acquired images of the mobile elementary diffraction patterns, and the counting of moving particles in the droplet, via the identified mobile elementary diffraction patterns.

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for performing in-line lens-free digital holography of objects. At least one embodiment relates to an apparatus for performing in-line lens-free digital holography of an object. The apparatus includes a point light source adapted for emitting coherent light. The apparatus also includes an image sensing device adapted and arranged for recording interference patterns resulting from interference from light waves directly originating from the point light source and object light waves. The object light waves originate from light waves from the point light source that are scattered or reflected by the object. The image sensing device comprises a plurality of pixels. The point light source comprises a broad wavelength spectrum light source and a pinhole structure. The image sensing device comprises a respective narrow band wavelength filter positioned above each pixel that filters within a broad wavelength spectrum of the point light source.

A system for subpixel resolution imaging of an amplitude and quantitative phase image, the system including a waveguide having a top plane, a bottom plane, and two sides, an array of light sources emitting first befit beams from one side of the two sides of a waveguide, a holographic photopolymer film positioned on the top plane or the bottom plane of the waveguide and arranged to be illuminated by the first light beams from the array of light sources via the waveguide and to produce second light beams by diffraction, and an imaging device for capturing interference pattern light beams that passed through a sample, the sample arranged to be illuminated by the second light beams.

The invention provides a method for detecting objects in samples. The sample is held in the transmission path of light source to a detector, whereby light from the light source interacts with objects in the sample. The patterns of light incident on the detector subsequent to its interaction with the objects are directly used to determine the presence of objects in the sample.

The present invention provides a digital hologram recording system and a numerical reconstruction method for a hologram, which are used for capturing an image of an object and recording it as a holographic data. Said system comprises: signal light, formed after irradiating the object with a light source; an image detector, for recording interference fringes of the signal light; and a light pipe, arranged in a path of the signal light and located between the object and the image detector, wherein the light pipe has a reflection surface, and a part of the signal light enters the image detector after reflected by the reflection surface of the light pipe. The present invention can make the collected signal equivalent to several times of the pixel counts of the image detector, thereby able to break through the spatial bandwidth limitation and shortening the amount of time required to measure the hologram.

The invention relates to a method for determining a surface map, such as a height map, of a sample surface having a first region with a first reflectivity and a second region with a second reflectivity. The invention further relates to an imaging system for determining a surface map of a sample surface having a first region with a first reflectivity and a second region having a second reflectivity. The invention is further related to a digital data carrier including a computer program which, when run on a processor of an imaging system according to the invention, causes the imaging system to perform the method according to the invention.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an image information acquisition device comprising: a sample unit for accommodating a sample; a driver for moving the sample unit in a first direction; a light source for irradiating light to a partial region of the sample unit; an optical mirror for reflecting the light having passed through the sample unit, by scattering or diffraction of the light; an image sensor for recording in time-series an interference image generated by light reflected from the optical mirror; and a controller for generating image information of the sample based on a time-dependent change of the interference image.

An optical scanning holography system includes a polarization-sensitive lens configured to receive a linearly polarized beam and generate a first spherical wave of right-handed circular polarized light having a negative focal length and a second spherical wave of left-handed circular polarized light having a positive focal length, a first polarizer configured to pass only a beam component therethrough in a predetermined polarization direction among components of the generated first and second spherical waves, a scanning unit configured to scan an object by using an interference beam generated between the first and second spherical waves passing through the first polarizer, and a first photodetector configured to detect a beam reflected from the object.