Live-cell computed tomography

1. An optical computed tomography (CT) system, comprising:

a frame having a first plane comprising a first axis and a second plane comprising a second axis, wherein the first plane is substantially orthogonal to the second plane and the first axis is substantially orthogonal to the second axis, wherein the frame further comprises a first platform positioned along the first plane that is able to move along the first axis, the second axis, and a third axis, wherein the third axis is disposed with the first plane and is substantially transverse to the first axis, and wherein the frame further comprises a second platform positioned along the second plane;

a device manifold supported by said frame and disposed parallel to said first plane, wherein the device manifold further comprises a microfluidic module comprising at least one imaging chamber having an inlet to receiving an object and an outlet for dispensing the object, wherein the imaging chamber comprises a plurality of microelectrodes configured to induce rotation of the object as a result of an induced dipole moment in the object;

a first optical train connected to said first platform and disposed along said second axis, the first optical train comprising a light source that delivers light to the object and a camera configured to receive an emission signal from the object;

a second optical train connected to said second platform and disposed along said second axis, the second optical train comprising a light source that delivers light to the object and a camera configured to receive transmitted light from the object; and

a computer in electrical communication with the plurality of microelectrodes and the first optical train, the computer programmed to:

rotate, using the plurality of microelectrodes, the object to complete a 360 degree rotation;

acquire a two dimensional (2D) pseudo-projection image of the object during rotation to form a plurality of 2D pseudo-projection images of the object;

construct a 3D image of the object based on said plurality of 2D pseudo-projection images of the object, and

wherein the 2D pseudo-projections are collected at an angular sampling rate from 0.72 degrees to 1.2 degrees over the 360 degree rotation of the object.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein

the object is selected from the group consisting of a live cell, live multicellular duster, fixed cell, fixed multicellular cluster, live tissue, fixed tissue, and any combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device manifold is connected to and disposed on the first platform.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic module further comprises a fluid pumping apparatus comprising an air pressure controller, a vacuum controller, a fluid reservoir, and a flow monitoring device, wherein the fluid pumping apparatus collects the object and delivers the object to a container.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first optical train comprises a scanning obj ective.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second optical train comprises an object trapping region configured to trap the object.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the camera is an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) or a scientific complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (sCMOS) camera.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein is configured to deliver a laser light.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to: rotate the cell at a rotation speed from 1 to 2.5 rotation per minute (rpm).

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to:

subtract background from the 3D image;

enhance contrast using intensity normalization;

apply an adaptive local threshold to the 3D image; and

extract a feature using a 3D object count based on nearest neighborhood connectivity.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the feature is selected from one or more of a volume of the object, position of a centroid of the object, a center of mass of the object, or a mean density of the object.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the adaptive local threshold is applied using a Niblack method.

13. An optical computed tomography (CT) system, comprising:

a frame having a first plane comprising a first axis and a second plane comprising a second axis, wherein the first plane is substantially orthogonal to the second plane and the first axis is substantially orthogonal to the second axis, wherein the frame further comprises a first platform positioned along the first plane that is able to move along the first axis, the second axis, and a third axis, wherein the third axis is disposed with the first plane and is substantially transverse to the first axis, and wherein the frame further comprises a second platform positioned along the second plane;

a device manifold supported by said frame and disposed parallel to said first plane, wherein the device manifold further comprises a microfluidic module comprising at least one imaging chamber having an inlet to receiving an object and an outlet for dispensing the object, wherein the imaging chamber comprises a plurality of microelectrodes configured to induce rotation of the object as a result of an induced dipole moment in the object;

a first optical train directly connected to said first platform and disposed along said second axis, the first optical train comprising a light source that delivers light to the object and a camera configured to receive an emission signal from the object; and

a second optical train directly connected to said second platform and disposed along said second axis, the second optical train comprising a light source that delivers light to the object and a camera configured to receive transmitted light from the object.