Abstract

The development of an interference microscope designed to quantify optical thickness of biological samples has created the need for a more robust phase unwrapping algorithm to process the data. A survey of several traditional phase unwrapping techniques including a gradient of first failure test was completed. The results showed that quality-guided path-following algorithms tend to be the most robust breaking down at higher slopes and greater noise levels. A comparison of modulation and slope as quality metrics for this algorithm was performed on real datasets from a cylindrical mirror and biological samples. It was found that quality-guided path-following unwrapping methods using modulation data as a quality metric provides consistent and improved phase unwrapping of complex biological interference measurements.

© 2013 Optical Society of America