Multispectral Mueller matrix imaging dark-field microscope for biological sample observation

Abstract

Mueller polarimetric imaging in dark-field observation shows a contrast enhancement between healthy and cancerous human colon tissue in some reports. We have developed a Mueller-matrix microscope system that combines a dark-field polarization illuminator with an imaging polarimeter to measure the polarization characteristics of scattered light from human colon tissue samples. A multichannel light source permits the acquisition of multispectral Mueller matrices of the sample. The wavelength and polarization state selections are automated, as is the Mueller matrix measurement. The imaging polarimeter permits the system to perform fast, stable measurements. Calibration allows us to reduce the error associated with the illumination and imaging optics in the microscope system. Our system indicates a clear difference between the average Mueller matrix measurements of healthy and cancerous human colon tissue, which agrees well with previously reported results.