Wavelength-coded multifocal microscopy

Abstract

A wavelength-coded multifocal microscope incorporating multiplexed and wavelength-coded holographic gratings to generate wavelength-selective multifocal planes is presented. The focal planes are longitudinally spaced on the object plane, and each focal plane is probed by a designated wavelength. The recording of the multiplexed gratings takes place at a single wavelength by utilizing the Bragg degeneracy property; thus the maximum sensitive wavelength of blue $488\mathrm{nm}$ is used for recording, but the device is operated at a broad wavelength band of interest, all the way to red $633\mathrm{nm}$. We present the design, implementation, and experimental image data demonstrating this microscope’s ability to obtain biological tissue structures simultaneously at different focal planes using broadband illumination by LEDs.