Optofluidic adaptive optics in multi-photon microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fast, robust sensorless adaptive optics method using a transmissive optofluidic device for multi-photon microscopy, enabling deep tissue imaging without traditional reflective modulators.

Contribution

It presents a novel transmissive, broadband, polarization-independent optofluidic wavefront shaping device and a sensorless adaptive optics scheme for improved deep imaging.

Findings

Successful scatter correction in fluorescence imaging of microbeads and brain cells

Demonstrated device performance against liquid-crystal spatial light modulators

Opened new possibilities for adaptive optics in transmissive applications

Abstract

Adaptive optics in combination with multi-photon techniques is a powerful approach to image deep into a specimen. Remarkably, virtually all adaptive optics schemes today rely on wavefront modulators which are reflective, diffractive, or both. This, however, can pose a severe limitation for applications. Here, we present a fast and robust sensorless adaptive optics scheme adapted for transmissive wavefront modulators. We study our scheme in numerical simulations and in experiments with a novel, optofluidic wavefront shaping device which is transmissive, refractive, polarisation-independent and broadband. We demonstrate scatter correction of two-photon-excited fluorescence images of microbeads as well as brain cells and benchmark our device against a liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. Our method and technology could open new routes for adaptive optics in scenarios where previously the restriction to reflective and diffractive devices may have staggered innovation and progress.