Three-dimensional fluorescence imaging of particles in a glass capillary using tilted light-sheet illumination

We have attempted to image three-dimensional distribution of fluorescence beads embedded within gels in a glass capillary using light-sheet illumination, as a primary step towards developing a three-dimensional molecular imaging flow cytometer. An illumination and a detection path were arranged orthogonal to the longer axis of the capillary. The light-sheet illumination was tilted with respect to the illumination axis to image a projection of a section of the sample by a CCD. Different sections of the sample were imaged through scanning the capillary itself, along its length. By stacking the images after inverse transformation, the three-dimensional distribution of the fluorescence beads was imaged.