Dynamic Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography module adapted to commercial microscopes for longitudinal in vitro cell culture study

TL;DR

This paper introduces a D-FFOCT module compatible with commercial microscopes for long-term, label-free, 3D imaging of live cell cultures, enabling detailed observation of cellular dynamics over extended periods.

Contribution

A novel D-FFOCT module design integrated with standard microscopes for non-invasive, longitudinal imaging of live cell cultures, with optimized workflow and enhanced signal-to-noise ratio.

Findings

Successful long-term imaging of retinal organoids and explants

10-fold time efficiency improvement over previous methods

Enhanced signal-to-noise ratio for rapid organoid screening

Abstract

Dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography (D-FFOCT) has recently emerged as a label-free imaging tool, capable of resolving cell types and organelles within 3D live samples, whilst monitoring their activity at tens of milliseconds resolution. Here, a D-FFOCT module design is presented which can be coupled to a commercial microscope with a stage top incubator, allowing non-invasive label-free longitudinal imaging over periods of minutes to weeks on the same sample. Long term volumetric imaging on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids is demonstrated, highlighting tissue and cell organisation as well as cell shape, motility and division. Imaging on retinal explants highlights single 3D cone and rod structures. An optimal workflow for data acquisition, postprocessing and saving is demonstrated, resulting in a time gain factor of 10 compared to prior state of the art. Finally, a method to increase D-FFOCT signal-to-noise ratio is demonstrated, allowing rapid organoid screening.