Multiview Scattering Scanning Imaging Confocal Microscopy through a Multimode Fiber

TL;DR

MUSSIC microscopy combines confocal imaging with multimode fibers to achieve high-contrast, high-resolution imaging deep inside tissue, overcoming scattering limitations of traditional methods.

Contribution

This work introduces a novel multiview confocal microscopy technique using multimode fibers and virtual pinholes for enhanced imaging depth and quality.

Findings

High SNR image reconstruction with virtual pinholes

Enhanced contrast and resolution in deep tissue imaging

Experimental validation of the MUSSIC technique

Abstract

Confocal and multiphoton microscopy are effective techniques to obtain high-contrast images of 2-D sections within bulk tissue. However, scattering limits their application to depths only up to ~1 millimeter. Multimode fibers make excellent ultrathin endoscopes that can penetrate deep inside the tissue with minimal damage. Here, we present Multiview Scattering Scanning Imaging Confocal (MUSSIC) Microscopy that enables high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) imaging through a multimode fiber, hence combining the optical sectioning and resolution gain of confocal microscopy with the minimally invasive penetration capability of multimode fibers. The key advance presented here is the high SNR image reconstruction enabled by employing multiple coplanar virtual pinholes to capture multiple perspectives of the object, re-shifting them appropriately and combining them to obtain a high-contrast and high-resolution confocal image. We present the theory for the gain in contrast and resolution in MUSSIC microscopy and validate the concept through experimental results.