Fig. 5: FOV-splitting multi-channel bright-fluorescent spatiotemporal imaging and sorting of different particles.

A Side-view schematic of FOV-splitting multi-channel imaging via a single event camera. `F' and `OL' refer to the filter and optical lens, respectively. B The customized FOV-splitting F3 filter assembled with the photodiode (PD) sensor of the event camera. One-half of the PD sensor array images the fluorescent field, while the other half images the bright field. C Typical images of three particles in the fluorescent field, the field junction, and the bright field, where the red dotted line marks the bright-fluorescent field junction. Only the dead Hela cells could be seen in the fluorescent field. The experiment was repeated 20 times independently with similar results. D The detected event blobs in FOV-splitting NEVACS, where the red dotted line and black dotted line mark the bright-fluorescent-field junction and the boundary of the funnel-like microfluidic channel, respectively. The halo of emission light in a fluorescent field is recorded by the event camera due to its sensitivity to the intensity change, causing reduced image quality in fluorescence images. The experiment was repeated 20 times independently with similar results. E Representative dynamic trends of event count for different particles passing throughout the FOV. The event counts are greater in the squeezing region because particles have the highest velocity in this region. F Representative, bright-field, and fluorescent microscopic images of collected particles after sorting by the single-frame-activated sorter (top) and NEVACS (bottom) for the living Hela-dead Hela-bead mixture. The experiment was repeated 20 times independently with similar results. G Comparison of the control subsystem overall efficiency for FOV-splitting NEVACS and dual-sensor NEVACS. 20 biological replicates are performed, and data are presented as mean values ± SD.