Lensless fluorescence microscope for in vivo imaging

Microscopes are essential tools in life sciences and have become widely used in clinical settings. Doctors use them to examine the eyes, detect cancerous tissues, and even assist in surgical procedures. However, traditional microscopes are bulky, limiting their ability to image internal body structures. Additionally, optical lenses often struggle to provide both a wide field of view and high-resolution imaging simultaneously.

To address these limitations, a team from Rice University has developed a lens-free microscope that is incredibly small and can be attached to an endoscope for internal imaging. This innovation allows for long-term monitoring of brain activity and opens up new possibilities that were previously impossible due to the size of conventional microscopes.

The wide-area fluorescence microscope created by the Rice team can capture detailed images within a few cubic millimeters, achieving micron-level resolution. Moreover, the system's field of view can be expanded simply by using a larger sensor, which is feasible since it employs a standard CMOS detector—common in many imaging devices.

To produce clear and high-quality images, the device uses an "amplitude mask," which functions like a custom-designed diffraction grating. The sensor captures light passing through this mask, which appears completely different from the actual object being imaged. An advanced algorithm then processes this data to reconstruct a high-resolution image based on the mask's design.

Because the device creates focused images within a specific range, it enables 3D imaging of small volumes, such as a few cubic millimeters. This breakthrough could significantly impact neuroscience, medical diagnostics, and real-time biological studies, offering a compact and powerful alternative to traditional microscopes.