Xiguang Instruments Unveils First Digital Imaging Platform Featuring 300μm Depth of Field and 4-Second Panoramic Imaging

By magnifying objects through a combination of lenses, optical microscopes enable researchers to observe the microscopic world, including cellular structures, tissues and organs, and microorganisms. Their magnification can typically reach approximately 1500x, allowing for clear visualization of the shape and structure of tiny organisms such as bacteria.

The Evolution of Optical Microscopy: A Journey of Continuous Exploration, Innovation, and Application. From its origins as a simple magnifying tool to modern scientific instruments with high performance and multifunctional capabilities, every advancement in optical microscopy has significantly propelled human understanding and exploration of the microscopic world.

Today, to break through the limits of traditional optoelectronic imaging, scientists and engineers are achieving high-dimensional enhancements in imaging performance while significantly reducing costs, by leveraging innovative computational imaging algorithms and specialized structural designs. Among these,XIGUANG Instruments leverages Fourier Ptychographic Microscopy (FPM) technology to provide an intelligent digital imaging and analysis platform featuring a large field of view, high resolution, and extended depth of field.

Since its inception, the team at XIGUANG Instruments has clearly recognized that the core competitiveness of high-end scientific instruments stems from relentless breakthroughs and innovation in key technologies. Yan Hu, co-founder and CEO of XIGUANG Instruments, told VCBeat:“Especially in the mid-to-high-end market for life science instruments, overseas giants have long occupied the global commanding heights.”

According to the 2023 Global Top Revenue List of Publicly Listed Instrument Companies released by Instrument Information Network, Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA) ranked first with sales reaching $42.86 billion; Danaher (USA) ranked second with sales of $23.89 billion... No company from China made it into the Top 20 list.

To disrupt the current industry landscape, XIGUANG HEALTHCARE has embarked on a global search for disruptive and innovative technological pathways, aiming to achieve overtaking on a curve through new technologies, much like China’s new energy vehicle brands. For high-end digital microscopes, the prevailing technical approach relies on mechanical scanning and image stitching to achieve large-field-of-view imaging. However, its application in clinical and broader settings is severely constrained by challenges such as imperfect imaging quality, complex sample preparation processes, and specific issues including stitching redundancy, stitching failures, and defocusing in thick-sample and live-cell imaging. Furthermore, heavy reliance on high-magnification objectives, precision electronic control systems, and high-speed cameras keeps the overall system cost prohibitively high.

In 2020, Yan Hu was first introduced to the computational optics technology developed by Dr. Pan An, Director of the Frontier Interdisciplinary Research Center at the State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics, Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Computational optics has demonstrated broad application prospects in various fields, including life sciences research, pathological diagnosis, and industrial inspection. In particular, breakthroughs in constructing and interpreting high-dimensional light field information have brought unprecedented opportunities to the life sciences sector.

At that time, Dr. Pan An was designing a Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) system based on hemispherical digital condenser illumination. By combining the Fourier ptychographic algorithm with the unique design of the hemispherical digital condenser, the system significantly increased the numerical aperture of microscopic imaging, thereby enabling the capture of more details and achieving higher imaging resolution.A numerical aperture of 1.05 also indicates that the FPM system possesses extremely high light collection efficiency and imaging clarity, enabling it to approach or even match the performance metrics of oil-immersion objectives, such as resolution, field of view, and space-bandwidth product.

Leveraging the industrialization of Fourier Ptychographic Microscopy (FPM) technology, the team founded Xiguang Instruments after years of market analysis and product development. The team has established an efficient model of division of labor and collaboration: Dr. Pan An, as Chief Scientist, focuses on in-depth research and continuous innovation in underlying technologies; Chief Product Advisor Director Han Yugang draws on his more than 20 years of experience in managing the public platform for life science instruments at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and working with the Scientific Instrument Verification and Evaluation Center, providing rich application scenarios and product positioning guidance for FPM technology; while Yan Hu oversees the company’s overall operations and product development, helping to drive more major breakthroughs in life sciences research.

“Breaking the resolution barrier of optical microscopy by integrating a large field of view with ultra-high spatial resolution.” Yan Hu stated that the elegance of the FPM system lies in its architecture, which resembles that of a traditional optical microscope, but with the light source revolutionarily replaced by an LED array. By precisely orchestrating the illumination sequence of the LEDs, the system captures richer and more comprehensive image information of the sample through multi-angle illumination. It then employs phase retrieval and aperture synthesis algorithms to reconstruct hundreds of images via ptychographic stacking, ultimately generating a high-resolution image that surpasses the inherent resolution limit of the objective lens while maintaining a wide field of view.

In the field of basic scientific research, XIGUANG Instruments, through R&D“Panoramic Long-Term Label-Free Live-Cell Imaging Analyzer”, specifically tailored for cutting-edge research in stem cells, microbiomics, and spatial omics. This instrument eliminates the need for fluorescent labeling, effectively reducing the risks of phototoxicity and photobleaching, while supporting long-term, automated imaging observations that enable continuous monitoring of live-cell dynamics over periods ranging from days to years.

In the field of medical diagnostics, XIGUANG HEALTHCARE focuses on“Rapid Ultra-Depth-of-Field Digital Pathology Slide Scanner”...development, addressing two major challenges in pathological diagnosis, particularly intraoperative pathology: uneven thickness of frozen sections and the time-critical nature of full-color digital imaging. FPM technology achieves an ultra-large depth of field of 300 micrometers and an imaging time of nearly 4 seconds, bringing a revolutionary breakthrough to pathological diagnosis.

Furthermore, in the field of industrial inspection,XIGUANG HEALTHCARE has also partnered with multiple publicly listed companies to jointly advance the research and development of ultra-fast high-content drug screening systems.Joint application for the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Major Instrument Special Project is expected to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of drug screening, injecting new momentum into pharmaceutical R&D.

Yan Hu told VCBeat that the main challenge facing XIGUANG HEALTHCARE’s instruments is the rapid user acceptance of new technologies and products.As an emerging technology, FPM still has a long way to go in its pursuit of perfection. It requires continuous iteration in practice to overcome potential early-stage shortcomings in detail and maturity.

He particularly emphasized that XIGUANG’s image reconstruction algorithms are closely tailored to specific application scenarios. This implies that as application scenarios diversify and sample characteristics become more complex, iterative algorithm optimization and software development will remain ongoing necessities. In the life sciences field, the diversity of sample types—such as pathological sections, cell cultures, and microplates—poses higher demands on algorithms. This has driven XIGUANG to develop personalized algorithmic and software solutions for different sample types, ensuring precision in imaging and analysis.

"From a strategic layout perspective, Xiguang Instruments is adopting a phased implementation strategy. 'Given the disruptive advantages of FPM technology, we have prioritized scientific research scenarios as our entry point to meet the personalized needs of the life sciences and basic research fields,' stated Yan Hu. Meanwhile, Xiguang Instruments is also actively exploring the application potential in industrial scenarios."

In terms of concrete actions, XIGUANG HEALTHCARE is intensively advancing the development and testing of its products. Yan Hu revealed that the company’s first research-grade product is expected to launch between September and October 2024, and preparations for the application of a Class II medical device certification are already underway. Furthermore, XIGUANG HEALTHCARE is collecting feedback from research and medical teams through trial use of prototype units to continuously iterate and enhance product performance. The company also plans to enter universities and research institutes in September to conduct product presentations and promotions, thereby further expanding its market influence.

*XIGUANG HEALTHCARE's first research-grade product, the "Fourier Panoramic Digital Pathology Microscope," is about to be launched. Interested partners are welcome to contact us.*