An ultrafast camera for micro-viscoelasticity imaging of single cells

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Elasticity is a fundamental property that determines the anatomy, functionality and pathology of cells and tissues. Current methods to measure cell stiffness are cumbersome, time consuming and often qualitative. We have developed an alternative technique by inducing elastic waves in living cells using an actuator. These waves are observed optically at 205,000 frames / s and their propagation within cell structures is determined using speckle displacement information. Whole cell elasticity has been mapped by the applicant using an elastography method inspired by the seismology field ("passive elastography" algorithm). Using this approach, we have measured whole cell elasticity distributions using less than 1 ms for data acquisition, with a spatial resolution of a few microns. Robustness of these measurements has been demonstrated in repeated experiments.