Quantitative phase imaging of sickle cell disease effects on mouse brain vasculature using quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy

Abstract

Quantitative oblique back-illumination microscopy (qOBM) is a label-free imaging technique that enables threedimensional phase imaging of thick samples with epi-illumination. Here, we present a preliminary study using qOBM to monitor sickle cell disease in mice. We have used qOBM to image the brains of recently sacrificed PBS-perfused control mice and mice with sickle cell disease. Quantitative phase images revealed morphological differences in the blood vessel structure coupled with blockages of cortex vessels where potential strokes occurred. We demonstrate that qOBM enables visualizing these differences with future applications for in-vivo monitoring of sickle cell blood flow.