Comparative phase imaging of live cells by digital holographic microscopy and transport of intensity equation methods.

We describe a microscopic setup implementing phase imaging by digital holographic microscopy (DHM) and transport of intensity equation (TIE) methods, which allows the results of both measurements to be quantitatively compared for either live cell or static samples. Digital holographic microscopy is a well-established method that provides robust phase reconstructions, but requires a sophisticated interferometric imaging system. TIE, on the other hand, is directly compatible with bright-field microscopy, but is more susceptible to noise artifacts. We present results comparing DHM and TIE on a custom-built microscope system that allows both techniques to be used on the same cells in rapid succession, thus permitting the comparison of the accuracy of both methods.