Publication Jos van Rooij on polarization contrast optical diffraction tomography (ODT) in Biomedical Optics Express

Nieuws - 23 maart 2020 - Communication ImPhys

Jos van Rooij, PhD student in the group of Jeroen Kalkman, published a paper on polarization contrast optical diffraction tomography (ODT) in a recent issue of Biomedical Optics Express. The paper builds on earlier work on large scale high sensitivity ODT where a zebrafish larva was imaged in phase contrast.

In the latest work, a zebrafish is imaged both in phase contrast and in polarization contrast ODT. The added benefit of polarization contrast ODT is that polarization contrast allows for high sensitivity and label free detection of birefringent materials. This is demonstrated by imaging birefringent zebrafish muscle tissue in 3D which, with polarization contrast, is well delineated from the surrounding tissue.

The current polarization contrast is qualitative and further research will be aimed to fully quantify the birefringence and optic axis in the tomographic reconstruction.

J. van Rooij and J. Kalkman, Biomed. Opt. Express 11(4), 2109-2121 (2020)

Phase contrast ODT (left) and polarization contrast ODT (right) of the tail of a zebrafish larva.