Handheld and Cost-Effective Fourier Lightfield Microscope

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22; no. 4; p. 1459
• Main Authors: Galdon, Laura, Yun, Hui, Saavedra, Genaro, Garcia-Sucerquia, Jorge, Barreiro, Juan C, Martinez-Corral, Manuel, Sanchez-Ortiga, Emilio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: 3D imaging; Aperture; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Cotton fibers; Design; Digital cameras; Fluorescence; Honeybee; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - instrumentation; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; light-field; Microscopy; Microscopy - instrumentation; Microscopy - methods; Optical components; Weight reduction; light-field; microscopy; 3D imaging
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s22041459

In this work, the design, building, and testing of the most portable, easy-to-build, robust, handheld, and cost-effective Fourier Lightfield Microscope (FLMic) to date is reported. The FLMic is built by means of a surveillance camera lens and additional off-the-shelf optical elements, resulting in a cost-effective FLMic exhibiting all the regular sought features in lightfield microscopy, such as refocusing and gathering 3D information of samples by means of a single-shot approach. The proposed FLMic features reduced dimensions and light weight, which, combined with its low cost, turn the presented FLMic into a strong candidate for in-field application where 3D imaging capabilities are pursued. The use of cost-effective optical elements has a relatively low impact on the optical performance, regarding the figures dictated by the theory, while its price can be at least 100 times lower than that of a regular FLMic. The system operability is tested in both bright-field and fluorescent modes by imaging a resolution target, a honeybee wing, and a knot of dyed cotton fibers.