4-D imaging of fluid flow with digital in-line holographic microscopy

The large depth of field of digital in-line holographic microscopy (DIHM) with numerical reconstruction provides an ideal tool for the study of microfluidic phenomena. As indicators of the flow patterns we use latex microspheres and also red blood cells whose three-dimensional trajectories and velocities can easily be measured as a function of time with subsecond and micron resolution. We demonstrate the efficiency of DIHM by showing 3-D views of the flow patterns around big spheres in various geometric arrangements.