Computational refocusing in phase-resolved confocal microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a computational method for refocusing in phase-resolved confocal microscopy using synthetic holography, enabling in-focus imaging from data acquired at different focal planes, which benefits imaging of samples with height variations.

Contribution

It presents a physics-based numerical refocusing technique in confocal microscopy using synthetic holography, allowing post-acquisition focus correction based on wave physics.

Findings

Successful experimental demonstration of refocusing from multiple focal offsets

Restoration of in-focus images of objects with height variations

Potential application in confocal optical surface profiling

Abstract

We demonstrate numerical refocusing in coherent confocal laser scanning microscopy based on synthetic optical holography. This physics-based approach implements a computational propagation on the complex signal recovered in synthetic holography consistent with the wave physics and the parameters of the microscope. An experimental demonstration is shown to restore an in-focus image of a test object from data acquired at several focal plane off-sets. Numerical refocusing can provide focused views on samples with large height variation with a potential application in confocal optical surface profiling.