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Technology Offer: Quantitative Phase Imaging
Quantitative phase imaging has become an important tool in both biophotonics and technology. It enables non-invasive dry mass measurement of live cells, topography mapping of reflective surfaces, and inspection of optical elements. However, conventional quantitative phase imaging systems are typically based on complex interferometric setups that are sensitive to external disturbances or require multiple recordings, limiting their ability to monitor dynamic processes. CEITEC Brno University of Technology and its partners have developed an add-on imaging module for standard optical microscopes that provides single-shot quantitative phase imaging with high precision and ground-truth accuracy.
Technology Description
The technology is based on an add-on imaging module that utilizes polarization-directed light-shaping elements to implement the principles of incoherent off-axis holography in a standard optical microscope. The enhanced microscope enables single-shot measurement of isotropic samples in a highly stable common-path configuration, allowing applications such as cell dry mass profiling in reflected light and topography measurement. The system is inherently adapted for measuring phase retardance introduced between orthogonally polarized waves, making it suitable for the characterization of birefringent and space-variant polarization samples.
Key Benefits
- Single-shot imaging in an easy-to-use system.
- Diffraction-limited resolution with images free of coherence speckles.
- Applicable in both life sciences and material sciences.
- Low acquisition cost.
Fields of Application
The technology is suitable for:
- Dry mass profiling of live cells.
- Real-time optical profilometry.
- Inspection of advanced optical elements, including plasmonic metasurfaces and liquid-crystal-based elements and devices.
Intellectual Property Protection
- Czech Patent No. 307520
- PCT Patent Application WO 2019/057227A1
Development Stage
TRL 4 – Technology validated in a laboratory environment.
Developed By
CEITEC – Experimental Biophotonics Research Group
- Ing. Petr Bouchal, Ph.D.
- Prof. Radim Chmelík, Ph.D.
Palacký University Olomouc, Department of Optics
- Prof. Zdeněk Bouchal, Dr.
- Mgr. Radek Čelechovský, Ph.D.
Seeking Collaboration Opportunities
The technology is available for further development and commercialization. We welcome discussions with industrial partners interested in advanced optical imaging, microscopy, biophotonics, optical metrology, and the inspection of next-generation optical components.
