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Wide-field reflective imaging with an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bao, X; Kreiss, L; Cook, CB; Gong, H; Harfouche, M; Horstmeyer, R
Published in: Optics Express
March 23, 2026

We present an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope (epi-MCAM) designed for wide-field reflective imaging of non-transparent samples. The epi-MCAM contains 24 tightly packed and synchronized epi-illumination microscope units, arranged in a 4 × 6 planar array at 18 mm spacing. Each unit contains a unique CMOS image sensor (13 megapixels each), an objective and tube lens pair, and a beamsplitter and epi-illumination light path. An epi-MCAM capture cycle produces a stitched image covering 72 × 108 mm2 at a micrometer scale resolution down to 2.46 µm. To image samples exceeding this native field of view, we translate the entire array across the sample surface to enable high-resolution coverage of large objects. We demonstrate the system’s ability to image both flat and three-dimensionally structured reflective samples, such as semiconductor wafers and printed circuit boards, which highlight the epi-MCAM’s strong potential within industrial inspection applications.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Optics Express

DOI

EISSN

1094-4087

Publication Date

March 23, 2026

Volume

34

Issue

6

Start / End Page

9739 / 9752

Related Subject Headings

  • Optics
  • 5102 Atomic, molecular and optical physics
  • 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
  • 4006 Communications engineering
 

Citation

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MLA
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Bao, X., Kreiss, L., Cook, C. B., Gong, H., Harfouche, M., & Horstmeyer, R. (2026). Wide-field reflective imaging with an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope. Optics Express, 34(6), 9739–9752. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.582497
Bao, X., L. Kreiss, C. B. Cook, H. Gong, M. Harfouche, and R. Horstmeyer. “Wide-field reflective imaging with an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope.” Optics Express 34, no. 6 (March 23, 2026): 9739–52. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.582497.
Bao X, Kreiss L, Cook CB, Gong H, Harfouche M, Horstmeyer R. Wide-field reflective imaging with an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope. Optics Express. 2026 Mar 23;34(6):9739–52.
Bao, X., et al. “Wide-field reflective imaging with an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope.” Optics Express, vol. 34, no. 6, Mar. 2026, pp. 9739–52. Scopus, doi:10.1364/OE.582497.
Bao X, Kreiss L, Cook CB, Gong H, Harfouche M, Horstmeyer R. Wide-field reflective imaging with an epi-illumination multi-camera array microscope. Optics Express. 2026 Mar 23;34(6):9739–9752.
Journal cover image

Published In

Optics Express

DOI

EISSN

1094-4087

Publication Date

March 23, 2026

Volume

34

Issue

6

Start / End Page

9739 / 9752

Related Subject Headings

  • Optics
  • 5102 Atomic, molecular and optical physics
  • 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware
  • 4006 Communications engineering