Recent technological advances are driving unprecedented capabilities in biomedical imaging and microscopy. Innovations include a chip-based optical system delivering super-resolution microscopy without fluorescent labels or coherent light sources, and confocal squared spinning-disk image scanning microscopy enabling high-fidelity super-resolution imaging of complex tissues. Atomic force microscopy has been enhanced to visualize large-scale bacterial biofilm architectures with improved fields of view. Optical breakthroughs in matrix multipliers, liquid optical waveguides, and quantum correlation-enhanced spectroscopy further signify transformative impacts across imaging, photonics, and augmented reality applications.