Single-path single-shot phase-shifting quantitative phase microscopy with annular bright-field illumination

Abstract

We propose single-path single-shot phase-shifting quantitative phase microscopy (SSP-QPM) with annular illumination, oil top lens, and wide-field objectives. We analyze the difference between bright-field SSP-QPM, phase-contrast SSP-QPM, and the proposed microscopy by resolution, contrast, and noise. The proposed microscopy enhances the lateral resolution by promoting the numerical-aperture of illumination, improves the image contrast by suppressing multiple-scattering, and reduces dynamic noise by decreasing exposure time. Experiments validate the characters of the proposed microscopy by quantitative phase imaging of oocyte cells, intestinal tissues, and polystyrene microspheres. Besides, we demonstrate the simultaneous recording of fluorescence and quantitative phase images.