Analyzing the influence of imaging resolution on tissue polarimetry basis parameters

Mueller matrix imaging contains abundant microstructural information of the sample and provides quantitative characterization of anisotropic structures. In contrast to non-polarized microscopic imaging, Mueller matrix imaging can obtain basic structural information of the sample, such as fiber orientation and density, from polarization parameter images at low resolution. To analyze the combined effect of imaging resolution on Mueller matrix polarization properties, we first measured Mueller matrix images of unstained collagen fiber-rich rat dorsal skin sections using a range of objective magnification or numerical aperture (NA) values. Quantitative analysis of first-order moments and image texture parameters were then compared in conjunction with polarimetry basis parameters images. The results show that the polarimetry basis parameter images preserve most of the structural information of the sample and can provide fast imaging speed. This study provides a criterion to determine which structural information can be accurately and rapidly obtained by transmission Mueller matrix microscopy with low NA targets to aid in pathological diagnosis and other applications.