Apparatuses and methods for three-dimensional imaging of an object

1. An apparatus comprising:

optics configured and arranged to provide tilted illumination of a sample relative to a focal plane and, in response, to pass light from the sample toward an image plane;

a phase mask configured and arranged with the optics in an optical path to modify a shape of light passed from the sample by redirecting the light, wherein the shape modification characterizes the light as a function of an axial proximity of an object within the sample to the focal plane; and

circuitry configured and arranged to generate a three-dimensional image from the light by using the modified shape of light to provide depth-based characteristics of the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the phase mask modifies the shape of light by redirecting the light passing along the optical pathway to create a point-spread function (PSF) that encodes depth information of the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured and arranged to infer depth information of the object based on the modified shape of light and a degree of blur.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the phase mask is optimized for one of a depth range that is greater than 3 microns, and an application-specific depth that is capable of being greater than 3 microns when imaging with a numerical aperture greater than 1.2.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured and arranged to detect light at or incident upon an imaging circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optics is arranged with the sample to provide light sheet illumination of the sample and the optics is further configured and arranged to pass the light from the sample toward the circuitry.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the apparatus further includes a scanning mirror configured and arranged with the optics to provide the tilted illumination of the sample such that a portion of the sample is illuminated at a given time.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the tilted illumination is not parallel to the focal plane of the objective and the optics are further configured and arranged to sequentially illuminate the sample at an angle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the phase mask includes a deformable mirror configured and arranged to tune a depth characteristic by deforming.

10. A method comprising:

providing optics and a phase mask in an optical pathway;

passing a sheet of light through a sample to illuminate a slice of the sample and in response passing light from the sample along the optical path to circuitry where the light passed from the sample is detectable; and

encoding an axial position of at least one object of the sample by modifying a shape of the light passing along the optical pathway to create a point-spread-function (PSF) at the circuitry using one or more parameterized phase masks, wherein the one or more parameterized phase masks is optimized for a target depth-of-field range for an imaging scenario.

11. The method of claim 10 , further including sequentially illuminating the sample at an angle-and generating a three-dimensional image from the respective light.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sequential illumination includes adjusting an axial height of the sheet of light using a scanning mirror in the optical pathway between the sample and a light source of the optics.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sequential illumination includes adjusting an axial height of the sheet of light in a descending angle relative to a field of view.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein encoding an axial position further includes localizing a particle within the sample in three-dimensions based on the PSF.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein passing the sheet of light through the sample to illuminate the slice of the sample includes providing a tilted illumination of the sample such that a portion of the sample is illuminated at a given time.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an imaging circuit at an image plane in an optical path and configured and arranged to detect light at or incident upon the imaging circuit;

optics configured and arranged to provide tilted illumination of an sample relative to a focal plane and, in response, to pass light from the sample toward an image plane;

a phase mask configured and arranged with the optics in the optical path to modify a shape of the light passed from the sample by redirecting and modifying the light to create a point-spread function (PSF), wherein the shape modification characterizes the light as a function of an axial proximity of an object within the sample to the focal plane; and

circuitry configured and arranged to generate a three-dimensional image from the light detected via the imaging circuit by using the modified shape of light to provide depth-based characteristics of the object.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the optics include a light source to illuminate the sample at the tilt and one or more focusing lens to focus the light after interacting with the sample.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the optics include a light source and scanning mirror to provide the tilted illumination by passing a sheet of light through the sample to illuminate a slice of the sample, and in response further passing light from the sample through the circuitry where a signal light is detectable.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the optics are further configured and arranged to sequentially illuminate the sample and the circuitry is configured and arranged to generate the three-dimensional image from the respective light.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the phase mask is configured and arranged to encode a depth characteristic thereof arising from light from the sample at different respective depths at least one of which is greater than 3 microns and less than or equal to 20 micron.