QPm is the brainchild of University of Melbourne physics professor Keith Nugent, whose proprietary algorithm based on the Transport of Intensity equation1 processes amplitude and phase data from a sample. This technology provides independent digital acquisition of both quantitative phase and amplitude (intensity) information. The result is a set of "virtual" images that previously required several different instruments to obtain. For example, researchers can obtain differential interface contrast, dark field, Zernike phase contrast, and Hoffman modulation visualizations from a standard bright field instrument. In short, QPm allows researchers to expand analytical capabilities with relatively modest resource and personnel allocations.
In QPm, a phase tube and a 10-bit or greater research grade digital camera are attached to the microscope to capture the in-focus image and images above and below the focal plane. The accompanying software then processes phase difference information using Nugent's Quantitative Phase algorithm. Contrast-enhancing stains are not required.
Computer-generated ...
