Reconstructing Patched or Partial Holograms to allow for Whole Slide Imaging with a Self-Referencing Holographic Microscope

TL;DR

This paper introduces a reconstruction algorithm that enables whole slide imaging of cervical smears using a self-referencing holographic microscope, effectively handling partial and patched holograms for improved cytological diagnostics.

Contribution

The work presents a novel adaptive reconstruction algorithm that combines WSI and QPI techniques, allowing for flexible imaging from partial holograms in a self-referencing digital holographic microscope.

Findings

Algorithm performs well on epithelial cells

Effective reconstruction from partial holograms

Compatible with various input types

Abstract

The last decade has seen significant advances in computer-aided diagnostics for cytological screening, mainly through the improvement and integration of scanning techniques such as whole slide imaging (WSI) and the combination with deep learning. Simultaneously, new imaging techniques such as quantitative phase imaging (QPI) are being developed to capture richer cell information with less sample preparation. So far, the two worlds of WSI and QPI have not been combined. In this work, we present a reconstruction algorithm which makes whole slide imaging of cervical smears possible by using a self-referencing three-wave digital holographic microscope. Since a WSI is constructed by combining multiple patches, the algorithm is adaptive and can be used on partial holograms and patched holograms. We present the algorithm for a single shot hologram, the adaptations to make it flexible to various inputs and show that the algorithm performs well for the tested epithelial cells. This is a preprint of our paper, which has been accepted for publication in 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI).