Modelling of three-dimensional fluorescence images of muscle fibres: an application of the three-dimensional optical transfer function.

Striated muscle fibres can be modelled by a simple geometry, which has allowed three-dimensional (3-D) images in conventional and confocal microscopes to be calculated. This model is useful for comparing different imaging methods and represents a simple example of an application of the 3-D optical transfer function (OTF) for the system. The rejection of out-of-focus blur is demonstrated, and the effects of fibre thickness and confocal pinhole size on image contrast are investigated. The effects of using a simple filter for image enhancement are studied, elucidating the characteristics of the OTF.