title: Phase-gradient microscopy in thick tissue with oblique back-illumination.
abstract: Phase-contrast techniques, such as differential interference contrast microscopy, are widely used to obtain morphological images of unstained biological samples. The transillumination geometry required for these techniques restricts their application to thin samples. We introduce oblique back-illumination microscopy, a method of collecting en face phase-gradient images of thick scattering samples, enabling near-video-rate in vivo phase imaging with a miniaturized probe suitable for endoscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Tim N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Kengyeh K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mertz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation; D008029:Lighting / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast / Q000379:methods; D008904:Miniaturization; D014172:Transillumination