Snapshot volumetric imaging using rainbow-sheet illumination

Abstract

Traditional lens-based three-dimensional imaging methods struggle with speed, spatial resolution, field of view, and depth of field (DOF). Here, we propose a volumetric imaging method that combines rainbow-sheet illumination, chromatic-aberration-induced DOF extension, and compressive hyperspectral imaging to optically section transparent objects over 200 depth slices in a single snapshot. A proof-of-concept mesoscopic system with a lateral resolution of 12.7 line pairs per millimeter and a depth resolution of roughly 140 μm in a volume of 10 × 10 × 10 mm3 is constructed. The practicality of the suggested method is demonstrated by dynamic volumetric imaging of a transparent jellyfish at a rate of 15 volumes per second.