Bringing it all into focus—computational microscope captures 25.2 billion pixels per second across a wide field of view
When designing microscopes, optical engineers have long faced a trade-off between speed, field of view and resolution. But improving one of these properties typically comes at the expense of another. Now, a UC Berkeley–led team of researchers has found a way to address this challenge, opening the door to new possibilities in the field of microscopy.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have developed a revolutionary computational microscope capable of capturing 25.2 billion pixels per second across a wide field of view. The study, published in Nature Photonics, addresses the longstanding trade-off between speed, field of view, and resolution in optical microscopy.
By combining an array of 48 camera sensors, a custom-designed phase mask, and an optimization algorithm, the team achieved unprecedented gigapixel-scale imaging at high speed. The microscope can simultaneously capture micron-scale resolution, a wide area (5 square centimeters), and high frame rates (up to 120 frames per second) – a feat previously unattainable with traditional microscopes.
This breakthrough could enable simultaneous imaging of multiple live organisms and track dynamic processes like those in freely moving C. elegans nematodes.
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