Recent advances in optical tomography in low scattering media

Abstract

Low scattering media is the best scenario for optical imaging in thick samples and deep tissue, as it allows to obtain high resolution images without suffering the limitations that the diffusion phenomenon imposes. The high contribution of ballistic light in this regime enabled the development of light sheet microscopy and optical projection tomography, two of the most common techniques nowadays in research laboratories. Their revolutionary approach and wide spectrum of applications and possibilities has lead to a frenetic rhythm of new works and techniques arising every year. The large amount of information available often overwhelms scientists and researchers trying to keep up to date with the last cutting edge advances of the field. This paper aims to give a brief review of the origins and fundamental aspects of these two techniques to focus on the most recent and yet non reviewed works. Apart from novel methods, this document also covers combined multimodal approaches and systems. To conclude, we put a spotlight on the important role that open-source microscopy systems play in the field, as they improve the accessibility to these techniques and promote collaborative networks across the optical imaging community.