Multi-plane imaging technology with constant imaging quality

Abstract

To realize three-dimensional microscopic imaging with high time resolution and high space resolution at the same time, a multi-plane imaging method with constant axial multi-plane imaging quality is proposed. The optical theory to ensure that different axial sections have consistent lateral resolution has been analyzed. In the system, it is proposed to superimpose a spatial light modulator with programmable ability and wavefront control function on the focal plane of the image square of the front group of the infinite tube length microscope objective and load a digital multiplexing lens with multi-focus and multi-diffraction angle to form a new combined imaging system. The system can clearly image any axial section or multiple target planes within a certain imaging range without compensating the imaging aberration of the axial section, so that each axial section has the same imaging quality. With the help of the USAF 1951 resolution chart, it is verified that different axial object planes have consistent lateral resolution up to 57.0 lp/mm. For samples with different thicknesses, multi-plane layer-by-layer imaging and multi-plane simultaneous imaging experiments were performed using single-focus lens, multi-focus Fresnel lens, and digital multiplexing lens phase grayscale images, respectively. Experimental results show that this scheme can achieve some degree of simultaneous multiplanar imaging with an axial spacing of up to 0.2 mm, which is potentially useful in research areas where samples should not be moved or where relative motion is not desirable.