2006 · 151 citations · 0 references
EngineeringMicroscopyMicrolens ArrayBiomedical EngineeringLight Field MicroscopyMicroscopy MethodComputational ImagingLight MicroscopyBiophysicsLight Field ImagingMedical ImagingLight FieldImagingSuper-resolutionBiophotonicsConventional MicroscopeOptical ImagingFluorescence MicroscopyMicroscope Image ProcessingBiomedical ImagingMedicine
Microlens arrays inserted into conventional microscopes enable single‑shot capture of 4D light fields, yielding perspective views and focal stacks despite diffraction‑limited spatial‑angular trade‑offs and providing a new orthographic‑to‑perspective imaging modality for moving or light‑sensitive specimens. The study demonstrates a prototype light field microscope, evaluates its optical performance, and presents perspective views, focal stacks, and reconstructed volumes of diverse biological specimens. The system captures focal stacks that are processed with 3D deconvolution to generate cross‑sectional volumes rendered volumetrically. Synthetic focusing followed by 3D deconvolution is shown to be equivalent to limited‑angle tomography of the 4D light field.
By inserting a microlens array into the optical train of a conventional microscope, one can capture light fields of biological specimens in a single photograph. Although diffraction places a limit on the product of spatial and angular resolution in these light fields, we can nevertheless produce useful perspective views and focal stacks from them. Since microscopes are inherently orthographic devices, perspective views represent a new way to look at microscopic specimens. The ability to create focal stacks from a single photograph allows moving or light-sensitive specimens to be recorded. Applying 3D deconvolution to these focal stacks, we can produce a set of cross sections, which can be visualized using volume rendering. In this paper, we demonstrate a prototype light field microscope (LFM), analyze its optical performance, and show perspective views, focal stacks, and reconstructed volumes for a variety of biological specimens. We also show that synthetic focusing followed by 3D deconvolution is equivalent to applying limited-angle tomography directly to the 4D light field.