Targeted alteration of real and imaginary refractive index of biological cells by histological staining

Opt Lett. 2012 May 15;37(10):1601-3. doi: 10.1364/OL.37.001601.

Abstract

Various staining techniques are commonly used in biomedical research to investigate cellular morphology. By inducing absorption of light, staining dyes change the intracellular refractive index due to the Kramers-Kronig relationship. We present a method for creating 2D maps of real and imaginary refractive indices of stained biological cells using their thickness and absorptance. We validate our technique on dyed polystyrene microspheres and quantify the alteration in refractive index of stained biological cells. We reveal that specific staining of individual organelles can increase their scattering cross-section by orders of magnitudes, implying a major impact in the field of biophotonics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Eosine Yellowish-(YS) / metabolism
  • Epithelial Cells / cytology*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Hematoxylin / metabolism
  • Intracellular Space / metabolism
  • Optical Phenomena*
  • Staining and Labeling*

Substances

  • Eosine Yellowish-(YS)
  • Hematoxylin