Towards an Ultrathin Multi-Aperture Mircoscope

Recent biomedical developments towards compact, mobile, decentralized and system-integrated diagnostic platforms require automated and miniaturized microscopy technologies. Reducing system dimensions by downsizing classical single aperture optics limits either the field of view (FOV) or resolution. However, arranging multiple miniaturized objectives in parallel allows overcoming this restraint by decoupling the system's FOV from the axial system length. Based on this principle, we propose a thin multi-aperture microscope concept to image a large FOV with mm resolution. Due to a total optical system length of only 10 mm, the imaging optics can be integrated into conventional camera housings. The approach's potential is demonstrated by introducing a first prototype specified by life science requirements. The final system enables for bright field and fluorescence imaging of (1) multiple separated object fields simultaneously (e.g. parallel monitoring in microfluidics applications) or (2) extended continuous object areas via sample scanning. Hence, the micro-objective array approach provides a microscopy solution for biomedical applications with tight space requirements like point-of-care diagnostic devices, cell incubator microscopes and organ/lab-on-chip long term monitoring.