High-throughput single-cell imaging by multi-modal FACED microscopy

Abstract

We demonstrate a high-throughput multimodal imaging flow cytometry platform based on a recently developed all-optical laser scanning technique dubbed free-space angular chirped enhanced delay (FACED). The new platform is capable of capturing high-resolution single-cell images with all bright-field, fluorescent and quantitative phase contrasts simultaneously at an ultrafast imaging scan-rate of 20 MHz. We present proof-of-concept demonstrations for achieving such multimodal imaging capability in the context of single-cell imaging in ultrafast microfluidic flow (3 m/s), or at the equivalent imaging throughput of >20,000 cell/sec – a capability generally absent in the state-of-the-art imaging cytometry.