The present invention utilizes spatially modulated optical force
microscopy (SMOFM) with single beam optical force probing capability or
with a holographic optical trapping system capable of multi-beam optical
force probing coupled to a microscope objective, to generate a probe
beam(s) as a force probe to perturb the object that is adhered or resting
on a surface, so that deformations of the object may subsequently be
quantified. This quantification is performed by imaging a sequence of
four phase shifted replicas of the image using a computer-controlled
spatial light modulator, and calculating the pixel by pixel optical
path-length using existing algorithms. The change in optical path
lengths, and consequently the viscoelastic or elastic response elicited,
is an indication of damage or disease when the objects are cells. In
another embodiment, the optical deformability of the cells may be
measured and correlated with measurements of cytoskeletal/structural
protein expression.