Label-free 3D refractive index interferometric tomography of live cells with full angular coverage

Tomographic phase microscopy (TPM) is a well-known technique for imaging cells without staining and visualizing their inherent 3-D refractive index profile. We propose a new low-cost TPM approach using sample rotation of single cells. The cells are inserted into a capillary and trapped in a low-density gel. Cell rotation is performed by mechanically rotating the capillary. Projection acquisition is performed using an imaging interferometer. This technique is expected to be useful for label-free cell sorting and analysis.