Replication data for the article "Exploring the 3D Architecture of Rat Brain Tissue Using Digital Holographic Microscopy"

This dataset contains the supplementary document to the article 'Exploring the 3D Architecture of Rat Brain Tissue Using Digital Holographic Microscopy'. Abstract: Understanding the complexity of the (human) brain requires mapping its microscopic architecture to reveal neuronal cell structures and densely packed nerve fiber networks. This task traditionally relies on invasive methods, such as sectioning samples into thin slices and applying labeling techniques for microscopy, which can obscure or destroy valuable information and often demand extensive computational post-processing. A promising alternative is Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM), which has been widely used for imaging transparent biological samples with minimal preparation and high resolution. DHM enables both phase and volumetric imaging from minimal data, yet its application in brain imaging remains largely unexplored. In this work, DHM is used to measure both the amplitude and phase of rat brain tissue. This complex-valued information, combined with digital filtering and holographic propagation, enhances 2D structural visualization and reveals volumetric features by propagating the acquired hologram and applying autofocusing criteria. This approach successfully resolves the three-dimensional arrangement of crossing fiber bundles, a challenge in many imaging applications. Finally, the technique is demonstrated to be scalable, allowing the measurement of full brain slices spanning several centimeters in a few minutes.