Calculating Point Spread Functions: Methods, Pitfalls and Solutions

TL;DR

This paper introduces Fourier-based methods for accurately calculating vector point spread functions in fluorescence microscopy, addressing sampling issues and ensuring physical consistency for improved image reconstruction.

Contribution

It presents novel Fourier-based techniques for vector PSF computation that overcome sampling pitfalls and satisfy physical constraints, outperforming existing models.

Findings

Fourier-based methods are computationally efficient.

The methods satisfy physical energy conservation.

They are adaptable to various imaging modalities.

Abstract

The knowledge of the exact structure of the optical system PSF enables a high-quality image reconstruction in fluorescence microscopy. Accurate PSF models account for the vector nature of light and the phase and amplitude modifications. Most existing real-space-based PSF models fall into a sampling pitfall near the centre position, yielding to the violation of the energy conservation. In this work, we present novel, to the best of our knowledge, Fourier-based techniques for computing vector PSF and compare them to the state-of-the-art. Our methods are shown to satisfy the physical condition of the imaging process. They are reproducible, computationally efficient, and easy to implement and easy to modify to represent various imaging modalities.