Long-term 3D live cell tracking and morphological studies by telecentric digital holographic microscopy with digital focusing correction

A continuous long-term quantitative 3D imaging system for live cells is one of the essential requirements to study fast cellular dynamics. Confocal microscopy is a conventional volumetric imaging technique that enables morphological studies of cells and organisms, but the need to scan the sample to form a volumetric image limits the temporal resolution of the system. Phototoxicity and photobleaching are also inevitable problems for fluorescence microscopy, and faster dynamics require better temporal resolution.