Beyond flat-panel displays, applications of stereographic and holographic devices in 3D microscopy data analysis

Laser scanning microscopy enables the acquisition of 3D data in biomedical research. A fundamental challenge in visualizing 3D data is that common flat-panel displays, being 2D in nature, cannot faithfully reproduce light fields. Recent years have witnessed the development of various 3D display technologies. These technologies generally fall into two categories, stereography and holography, depending on the number of perspectives they can simultaneously present. We have integrated support for many commercially available 3D-capable displays into FluoRender, a visualization and analysis system for fluorescence microscopy data. This study investigates the opportunities and challenges of applying various 3D display devices in biological research, focusing on their practical use and potential for broad adoption. We found that 3D display devices, including the HoloLens and the Looking Glass, each have their merits and shortcomings. We predict that the convergence of stereographic and holographic technologies will create powerful tools for visualization and analysis in biological applications.