Quantitative phase evaluation of dynamic changes on cell membrane during laser microsurgery.
The ability to inject exogenous material as well as to alter subcellular structures in a minimally invasive manner using a laser microbeam has been useful for cell biologists to study the structure-function relationship in complex biological systems. We describe a quantitative phase laser microsurgery system, which takes advantage of the combination of laser microirradiation and short-coherence interference microscopy. Using this method, quantitative phase images and the dynamic changes of phase during the process of laser microsurgery of red blood cells (RBCs) can be evaluated in real time. This system would enable absolute quantitation of localized alteration/damage to transparent phase objects, such as the cell membrane or intracellular structures, being exposed to the laser microbeam. Such quantitation was not possible using conventional phase-contrast microscopy.
Yu
Lingfeng
L
University of California, Irvine, Beckman Laser Institute, Irvine, California 92612, USA. yulingfeng@gmail.com
Mohanty
Samarendra
S
Liu
Gangjun
G
Genc
Suzanne
S
Chen
Zhongping
Z
Berns
Michael W
MW
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D004910:Erythrocyte Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods