title: Polarization-based non-staining cell detection.
abstract: Polarization is an important characteristic of electromagnetic waves, which can not be detected by either the human visual system or traditional image sensors. Motivated by various animal species with polarization vision as well as by the prospect of improving the image quality of the imaging systems, we are exploring the potential of polarization for microscope imaging. The most powerful techniques for molecule monitoring requires complex preprocessing for labeling the sample with different dyes. In this paper, we propose a cell detection method using polarization imaging without any need for staining target cell samples with any chemical dye. The motivation for this work is to develop an optical imaging technique that is simple and that can be used on live cells. The polarization sensitivity of cell samples is studied in this paper. A definition for the quantity called "polarization deviation" is proposed in order to identify clearer the difference between target cells and the background. Based on the polarization deviation detection method, a three-parameter polarization imaging method is employed to further simplify the image capture procedure for the proposed label-free cell detection. A color imaging methodology based on the well-known color space is utilized in order to represent the captured polarization information using computer graphics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6390, USA. zhangmilin@seas.upenn.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ihida-Stansbury
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van der Spiegel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Engheta
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D060733:Electromagnetic Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008027:Light; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D015233:Models, Statistical; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000379:methods; D012984:Software; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*