title: The three-dimensional point spread functions of a microscope objective in image and object space.
abstract: The three-dimensional point spread function (3-D PSF) of an optical system in image space is distinguished from the 3-D PSF in object space and the relation between the two 3-D PSFs is derived. By using this relation one 3-D PSF can be easily obtained from the other. The 3-D PSFs are given in a single integral expression, which can be computed numerically. The results of this study can be used in 3-D image processing for microscopy and have been applied to the analysis of the diffusion of fluorescent molecules in a 3-D porous medium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, New York University Medical School, NY 10016, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007909:Lenses; D008433:Mathematics; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*