Hebrew University researchers have developed a groundbreaking method for high resolution imaging through highly scattering media, potentially transforming fields from medial diagnostics to autonomous navigation. The new technique, developed at the Institute of Applied Physics, allows scientists to see clearly through materials that typically scatter light and blur images. 

Revolutionary New Method

The research team, led by Prof. Ori Katz along with researchers Omri Haim and Jeremy Boger-Lombard, has introduced a computational technique that revolutionizes how we capture images through complex materials. Their method achieves high-resolution imaging without requiring expensive equipment or invasive procedures that were previously necessary. 

The breakthrough lies in its simplicity: the teqhnique can correct over 190,000 scattered light patterns using just 25 holographic frames. This represents a massive improvement over traditional imaging methods, making the process significantly faster and more efficient. 

“We are excited to introduce a new approach in imaging technology that allows for high-resolution imaging through highly scattering media with orders of magnitude less measurements than the state of the art, without the need for prior knowledge of the target or expensive equipment,” says Prof. Ori Katz. “This innovation shifts the challenge from physical hardware to computational optimization, offering a naturally parallelizable solution that can be applied across many fields.”

Key Achievements:

• High Versatility and Flexibility: This method can correct over 190,000 scattered modes using only 25 holographically captured, scattered light fields obtained under unknown random illuminations. The new technique offers flexibility across various imaging modalities, including epi-illumination, multi-conjugate correction of scattering layers, and lensless endoscopy.

• Reduced Computational and Memory Demands: Unlike conventional techniques that require the computation of entire reflection matrices, this innovative approach drastically reduces memory allocation and accelerates the imaging process, enabling faster and more effective correction of complex scattering.

• Applications Across Fields: The study demonstrates the potential for this technique to be applied in diverse areas including biological tissue imaging, multi-core fiber endoscopy, and even acousto-optic tomography. The method also promises to offer solutions in areas such as geophysics, radar, and medical ultrasound.

The method is particularly valuable because it offers a non-invasive way to image through complex materials while maintaining high resolution. The research team is now working to optimize the technique for imaging through thick biological tissues and to further reduce the number of required measurements.

The full research paper, titled "Image-guided Computational Holographic Wavefront Shaping," has been published in Nature Photonics, and can be accessed here.

Reference: DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01544-6

Researchers:

Omri Haim, Jeremy Boger-Lombard and Ori Katz

Institution:

Institute of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Funding

This work has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program grant number 101002406. This research was supported by a scholarship sponsored by the Ministry of Innovation, Science & Technology, Israel.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel’s premier academic and research institution. With over 23,000 students from 90 countries, it is a hub for advancing scientific knowledge and holds a significant role in Israel’s civilian scientific research output, accounting for nearly 40% of it and has registered over 11,000 patents. The University’s faculty and alumni have earned eight Nobel Prizes, two Turing Awards a Fields Medal, underscoring their contributions to ground-breaking discoveries. In the global arena, the Hebrew University ranks 81st according to the Shanghai Ranking. To learn more about the university’s academic programs, research initiatives, and achievements, visit the official website at http://new.huji.ac.il/en.