Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification

The presence of microplastics in the environment is of significant concern, yet the exact extent of this pollution remains largely unknown. The ocean is of particular interest as the monitoring of microplastics presents a challenge in that in situ fluid stream solutions are not readily available and...

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Main Authors: Fraser Montandon, Fred Nicolls
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-12-01
Series:Advanced Intelligent Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202400235
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author Fraser Montandon
Fred Nicolls
author_facet Fraser Montandon
Fred Nicolls
author_sort Fraser Montandon
collection DOAJ
description The presence of microplastics in the environment is of significant concern, yet the exact extent of this pollution remains largely unknown. The ocean is of particular interest as the monitoring of microplastics presents a challenge in that in situ fluid stream solutions are not readily available and traditional sampling methods are labor‐intensive and costly. This study introduces an imaging‐based lensless polarization‐sensitive fluid stream analyzer (FSA) for automated, label‐free, and cost‐effective detection and classification of microplastics. The FSA incorporates digital in‐line holography and birefringence computation, enabling quantitative polarization‐sensitive imaging and machine‐learning‐based activities including sample classification. Birefringent textures of synthetic polymers are investigated owing to their optical anisotropy. A microplastic classifier is developed for the FSA and integrated to form an end‐to‐end workflow capable of sampling fluid streams and determining marine and microplastic particle presence. Cultures of two phytoplankton species form a simplified marine environment for FSA evaluation. The device is tested in a two‐class configuration for marine microorganisms and microplastics, as well as a five‐class configuration for marine microorganisms and four individual microplastic types (polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene). The results demonstrate high classification accuracy, supported by experiments in the simulated marine environment that validate the proposed implementation's efficacy.
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spelling doaj-art-ec5b699eccc54126b17f621e1cb76ce22024-12-23T13:10:42ZengWileyAdvanced Intelligent Systems2640-45672024-12-01612n/an/a10.1002/aisy.202400235Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic ClassificationFraser Montandon0Fred Nicolls1Digital Image Processing Laboratory Department of Electrical Engineering University of Cape Town Cape Town 7701 South AfricaDigital Image Processing Laboratory Department of Electrical Engineering University of Cape Town Cape Town 7701 South AfricaThe presence of microplastics in the environment is of significant concern, yet the exact extent of this pollution remains largely unknown. The ocean is of particular interest as the monitoring of microplastics presents a challenge in that in situ fluid stream solutions are not readily available and traditional sampling methods are labor‐intensive and costly. This study introduces an imaging‐based lensless polarization‐sensitive fluid stream analyzer (FSA) for automated, label‐free, and cost‐effective detection and classification of microplastics. The FSA incorporates digital in‐line holography and birefringence computation, enabling quantitative polarization‐sensitive imaging and machine‐learning‐based activities including sample classification. Birefringent textures of synthetic polymers are investigated owing to their optical anisotropy. A microplastic classifier is developed for the FSA and integrated to form an end‐to‐end workflow capable of sampling fluid streams and determining marine and microplastic particle presence. Cultures of two phytoplankton species form a simplified marine environment for FSA evaluation. The device is tested in a two‐class configuration for marine microorganisms and microplastics, as well as a five‐class configuration for marine microorganisms and four individual microplastic types (polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene). The results demonstrate high classification accuracy, supported by experiments in the simulated marine environment that validate the proposed implementation's efficacy.https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202400235digital in‐line holographyenvironmental monitoringimaging flow cytometrylensless imagingmachine learningmicroplastics
spellingShingle Fraser Montandon
Fred Nicolls
Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification
Advanced Intelligent Systems
digital in‐line holography
environmental monitoring
imaging flow cytometry
lensless imaging
machine learning
microplastics
title Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification
title_full Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification
title_fullStr Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification
title_full_unstemmed Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification
title_short Imaging‐Based Lensless Polarization‐Sensitive Fluid Stream Analyzer for Automated, Label‐Free, and Cost‐Effective Microplastic Classification
title_sort imaging based lensless polarization sensitive fluid stream analyzer for automated label free and cost effective microplastic classification
topic digital in‐line holography
environmental monitoring
imaging flow cytometry
lensless imaging
machine learning
microplastics
url https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202400235
work_keys_str_mv AT frasermontandon imagingbasedlenslesspolarizationsensitivefluidstreamanalyzerforautomatedlabelfreeandcosteffectivemicroplasticclassification
AT frednicolls imagingbasedlenslesspolarizationsensitivefluidstreamanalyzerforautomatedlabelfreeandcosteffectivemicroplasticclassification