3D structure determination from a single view

"The ability to determine the structure of matter in three dimensions has profoundly advanced our understanding of nature. Traditionally, the most widely used schemes for three-dimensional (3D) structure determination of an object are implemented by acquiring multiple measurements over various sample orientations, as in the case of crystallography and tomography, or by scanning a series of thin sections through the sample, as in confocal microscopy. Here we present a 3D imaging modality, termed ankylography (derived from the Greek words ankylos meaning ‘curved’ and graphein meaning ‘writing’), which under certain circumstances enables complete 3D structure determination from a single exposure using a monochromatic incident beam. 3D image reconstruction in ankylography proceeds by means of an iterative algorithm. With further development, this approach of obtaining complete 3D structure information from a single view could find broad applications in the physical and life sciences."

Artigo publicado na revista Nature, 14 Janeiro 2010