Image enhancement through turbid media under a microscope by use of polarization gating methods

Image enhancement through a turbid medium by use of polarization gating methods in a microscopic imaging system is studied both theoretically and experimentally. A Monte Carlo simulation model based on Mie theory and geometric optics is adopted to calculate, for use with polarization gating and pinhole gating methods, image resolution of a sharp edge embedded in a turbid medium consisting of polystyrene beads. Both theoretical and experimental results show that polarization gating methods, particularly the differential polarization gating method, can be efficient in suppressing scattered photons, thus leading to image enhancement. In addition, a theoretical comparison of polarization gating and pinhole gating methods, based on the trade-off between resolution and signal strength, reveals that polarization gating methods are superior to the pinhole gating method when signal strength is weak.

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