A method for observing a sample (10), the sample lying in a plane of the sample defining radial coordinates, the method comprising the following steps: a) illuminating the sample using a light source (11), able to emit an incident light wave (12) that propagates toward the sample along a propagation axis (Z); b) acquiring, using an image sensor (16), an image (I.sub.0) of the sample (10), said image being formed in a detection plane (P.sub.0), the sample being placed between the light source (11) and the image sensor (16), such that the incident light wave sees an optical path difference, parallel to the propagation axis (Z), by passing through the sample; c) processing the image acquired by the image sensor;
wherein the processing of the acquired image comprises taking into account vectors of parameters, respectively defined at a plurality of radial coordinates, in the plane of the sample, each vector of parameters being associated with one radial coordinate, and comprising a term representative of an optical parameter of the sample, at least one optical parameter being an optical path difference induced by the sample at the radial coordinate, the vectors of parameters describing the sample.

The present invention includes method and device for label-free holographic screening and enumeration of tumor cells in blood for use in connection with cancer treatments and monitoring.

A method of structured illumination digital holography includes: (a) providing a structured illumination generating unit and binarization random number encoding unit to generate a coded structured illumination pattern; (b) sampling at least two patterns with phase shift which synthesized as a single structured illumination pattern to be encoded; (c) forming a single digital hologram, and wavefront reconstructing the single digital hologram; (d) performing a compressive sensing approach to recover the object wave with at least two phase shift patterns; and (e) reconstructing the separation of overlap spectrum, to obtain an image covering bandpass spectrum with different high frequency and low frequency.

A lensless Fourier transform holography high accuracy reconstruction method using a charged particle beam apparatus which holds a sample on a diffraction surface of a diffraction grating provided on the downstream side of a traveling direction of the charged particle beam and which is formed of a material having permeability. The charged particle beam passed through the diffraction surface is image-formed, and the formed image is detected. An opening region of the diffraction grating is smaller than an irradiation region of the charged particle beam on the diffraction grating. Image data is obtained in a state where the irradiation region of the charged particle beam diffracted with the diffraction grating is within the irradiation region of the charged particle beam transmitted through the diffraction grating. Plural holograms obtained based on the image data are Fourier transformed and an intensity distribution image is displayed and stored.

In a microscopic observation unit (10), hologram data is acquired at each measurement position on a cell culture plate (13) while a light-source section (11) and other elated sections are gradually moved by a moving section (15). Every time a set of data for one measurement position is acquired, a measurement monitoring image creator (4) creates a thumbnail age by reducing the size of a hologram image which is based on original data (two-dimensional distribution of light intensity). A display processor (25) pastes the create thumbnail image to progressively complete the hologram image of the entire plate to be displayed on a display unit (27). A measurement operator watches the hologram image during the execution of the measurement. When it has been concluded that the ongoing measurement is inappropriate, the operator presses a measurement stop button to immediately discontinue the measurement. Thus, When there is a problem with the measurement, such as a foreign object mixed in the sample, the measurement can be discontinued before a phase image or intensity image based on the hologram data is reconstructed on the server after the completion of the entire measurement, so as to avoid wasting time for the useless measurement.

A system or device includes a member structure, a plurality of flexible members, and a plurality of tips disposed at ends of the flexible members. The member structure includes an ultrasonic emitter configured to emit an ultrasonic imaging signal. The plurality of flexible members are coupled to the member structure. The plurality of tips are disposed at ends of the flexible members. At least one tip of the plurality of tips includes an image sensor configured to receive an infrared exit signal.

A device includes a sensor, a coherent infrared illumination source and optics to direct an infrared reference beam to the sensor. The sensor is positioned to capture an image of an interference signal generated by an interference of the infrared reference beam and a wavelength-shifted exit signal. The wavelength-shifted exit signal propagates through the optics before interfering with the infrared reference beam.

Techniques to improve image quality in holography utilizing lenses made from materials with non-quantized anisotropic electromagnetic properties, such as birefringent materials, to advantageously split an incoming beam of 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 are disclosed for microscopy and other applications. The use of thin birefringent lenses and single crystal alpha-BBO lenses are introduced. Corresponding systems, methods and apparatuses are described.

Light reflected from an illuminated object is mixed with a reference beam and sensed at a sensor array of a digital hologram apparatus. Digital hologram data, determined from the sensed light, is dependent upon complex valued reflection coefficients of the object and upon phase perturbations in propagation paths between the object and the sensor array. Reflectance values, which may be dependent upon expected values of the absolute square of the reflection coefficients, and phase perturbations are determined for which a test function is at an extremum, where the test function contains a data fidelity term dependent upon the hologram data from a single hologram, a first regularization term dependent upon the phase perturbations and a second regularization term dependent upon the reflectance values. An image of the object may be formed from the reflectance values and a wavefront of the reflected light may be determined from the phase perturbations.

A device including a light source, an image sensor, and a holder defining two positions between the light source and the image sensor. Each position is able to receive an object with a view to its observation. An optical system is placed between the two positions. Thus, when an object is placed in a first position, it may be observed, through the optical system, via a conventional microscopy modality. When an object is placed in the second position, it may be observed via a second lensless imagery modality.