Fast two-snapshot structured illumination for temporal focusing microscopy with enhanced axial resolution

We present a new two-snapshot structured light illumination (SLI) reconstruction algorithm for fast image acquisition. The new algorithm, which only requires two mutually π phase-shifted raw structured images, is implemented on a custom-built temporal focusing fluorescence microscope (TFFM) to enhance its axial resolution via a digital micromirror device (DMD). First, the orientation of the modulated sinusoidal fringe patterns is automatically identified via spatial frequency vector detection. Subsequently, the modulated in-focal-plane images are obtained via rotation and subtraction. Lastly, a parallel amplitude demodulation method, derived based on Hilbert transform, is applied to complete the decoding processes. To demonstrate the new SLI algorithm, a TFFM is custom-constructed, where a DMD replaces the generic blazed grating in the system and simultaneously functions as a diffraction grating and a programmable binary mask, generating arbitrary fringe patterns. The experimental results show promising depth-discrimination capability with an axial resolution enhancement factor of 1.25, which matches well with the theoretical estimation, i.e, 1.27. Imaging experiments on pollen grain and mouse kidney samples have been performed. The results indicate that the two-snapshot algorithm presents comparable optical cross-sectioning capability and better contrast reconstruction than those adopting conventional root-mean-square (RMS) reconstruction method. The two-snapshot method can be readily applied to any sinusoidally modulated illumination systems to realize high-speed 3D imaging as less frames are required for each in-focal-plane image restoration, i.e., the image acquisition speed is improved by 2.5 times for any two-photon systems.