Uveitis models in rodents are important in the investigation of pathogenesis in human uveitis and the development of appropriate therapeutic strategies for treatment. Quantitative monitoring of ocular inflammation in small animal models provides an objective metric to assess uveitis progression and/or therapeutic effects. We present a new application of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-based microangiography (OMAG) to a rat model of acute anterior uveitis induced by intravitreal injection of a killed mycobacterial extract. OCT/OMAG is used to provide noninvasive three-dimensional imaging of the anterior segment of the eyes prior to injection (baseline) and two days post-injection (peak ...

We present a swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system at 1060 nm equipped with a wavefront sensor at 830 nm and a deformable mirror in a closed-loop adaptive optics (AO) system. Due to the AO correction, the confocal profile of the interface optics becomes narrower than the OCT axial range, restricting the part of the B-scan (cross section) with good contrast. By actuating on the deformable mirror, the depth of the focus is changed and the system is used to demonstrate Gabor filtering in order to produce B-scan OCT images with enhanced sensitivity throughout the axial range from a ...

We reconstruct the three-dimensional shape and location of the retinal vascular network from commercial spectral-domain (SD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) data. The two-dimensional location of retinal vascular network on the eye fundus is obtained through support vector machines classification of properly defined fundus images from OCT data, taking advantage of the fact that on standard SD-OCT, the incident light beam is absorbed by hemoglobin, creating a shadow on the OCT signal below each perfused vessel. The depth-wise location of the vessel is obtained as the beginning of the shadow. The classification of crossovers and bifurcations within the vascular network is ...

Investigating the elasticity of ocular tissue (cornea and intraocular lens) could help the understanding and management of pathologies related to biomechanical deficiency. In previous studies, we introduced a setup based on optical coherence tomography for shear wave elastography (SWE) with high resolution and high sensitivity. SWE determines tissue stiffness from the propagation speed of shear waves launched within tissue. We proposed acoustic radiation force to remotely induce shear waves by focusing an ultrasound (US) beam in tissue, similar to several elastography techniques. Minimizing the maximum US pressure is essential in ophthalmology for safety reasons. For this purpose, we propose a ...

We sought to elucidate the mechanisms underlying two common intravascular optical coherence tomography (IV-OCT) artifacts that occur when imaging metallic stents: “merry-go-rounding” (MGR), which is an increase in strut arc length (SAL), and “blooming,” which is an increase in the strut reflection thickness (blooming thickness). Due to uncontrollable variables that occur in vivo , we performed an in vitro assessment of MGR and blooming in stented vessel phantoms. Using Xience V and Driver stents, we examined the effects of catheter offset, intimal strut coverage, and residual blood on SAL and blooming thickness in IV-OCT images. Catheter offset and strut coverage both ...

We demonstrate the in vivo assessment of human scars by parametric imaging of birefringence using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). Such in vivo assessment is subject to artifacts in the detected birefringence caused by scattering from blood vessels. To reduce these artifacts, we preprocessed the PS-OCT data using a vascular masking technique. The birefringence of the remaining tissue regions was then automatically quantified. Results from the scars and contralateral or adjacent normal skin of 13 patients show a correspondence of birefringence with scar type: the ratio of birefringence of hypertrophic scars to corresponding normal skin is 2.2 ± 0.2 ...

We present a noninvasive phase-variance (pv)–based motion contrast method for depth-resolved imaging of the human chorioretinal complex microcirculation with a newly developed phase-stabilized high speed (100-kHz A-scans/s) 1 - μ m swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) system. Compared to our previous spectral-domain (spectrometer based) pv-spectral domain OCT (SDOCT) system, this system has the advantages of higher sensitivity, reduced fringe wash-out for high blood flow speeds and deeper penetration in choroid. High phase stability SSOCT imaging was achieved by using a computationally efficient phase stabilization approach. This process does not require additional calibration hardware and complex numerical procedures. Our phase stabilization ...

The statistical model of scattered by flowing Brownian particles coherent radiation is suggested. The model includes the random Doppler shifts caused by particle Brownian motion and the speckle fluctuations caused primarily by the flow motion of particles. Analytical expressions are obtained for the correlation function, power spectrum, and spectral width of scattered radiation in the imaging geometry typically used in optical coherence tomography (OCT). It is shown that the spectral density has the Voigt shape, a well-known spectral profile from atomic and molecular spectroscopy. The approach enables the choice of the experimental regimes for the measurement of Brownian particle motion ...

Speckle noise is one of the dominant factors that degrade image quality in optical coherence tomography (OCT). Here, we propose a new strategy, interleaved OCT (iOCT), for spatial compounding and angular compounding. We demonstrate the efficiency of compounding with iOCT to restrain speckle noise without compromising imaging speed in phantoms and tissue samples.

Dual-band optical coherence tomography (OCT) can greatly enhance the imaging contrast with potential applications in functional (spectroscopic) analysis. A new simultaneous dual-band Fourier domain mode-locked swept laser configuration for dual-band OCT is reported. It was based on a custom-designed dual-channel driver to synchronize two different wavelength bands at 1310 and 1550 nm, respectively. Two lasing wavelengths were swept simultaneously from 1260 to 1364.8 nm for the 1310-nm band and from 1500 to 1604 nm for the 1550-nm band at an A-scan rate of 45 kHz. Broadband wavelength-division multiplexing was utilized to couple two wavelength bands into a common catheter ...

Magnetomotive optical coherence tomography (MM-OCT) can be utilized to spatially localize the presence of magnetic particles within tissues or organs. These magnetic particle-containing regions are detected by using the capability of OCT to measure small-scale displacements induced by the activation of an external electromagnet coil typically driven by a harmonic excitation signal. The constraints imposed by the scanning schemes employed and tissue viscoelastic properties limit the speed at which conventional MM-OCT data can be acquired. Realizing that electromagnet coils can be designed to exert MM force on relatively large tissue volumes (comparable or larger than typical OCT imaging fields of ...

Structurally degenerative diseases, such as keratoconus, can significantly alter the stiffness of the cornea, directly affecting the quality of vision. Ultraviolet-induced collagen cross-linking (CXL) effectively increases corneal stiffness and is applied clinically to treat keratoconus. However, measured corneal stiffness is also influenced by intraocular pressure (IOP). Therefore, experimentally measured changes in corneal stiffness may be attributable to the effects of CXL, changes in IOP, or both. We present a noninvasive measurement method using phase-stabilized swept-source optical coherence elastography to distinguish between CXL and IOP effects on measured corneal stiffness. This method compared the displacement amplitude attenuation of a focused air-pulse-induced ...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has become a promising alternative for treatment of skin lesions such as squamous cell carcinoma. We propose a method to monitor the effects of PDT in a noninvasive way by using the optical attenuation coefficient (OAC) calculated from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. We conducted a study on mice with chemically induced neoplastic lesions and performed PDT on these lesions using homemade photosensitizers. The response of neoplastic lesions to therapy was monitored using, at the same time, macroscopic clinical visualization, histopathological analysis, OCT imaging, and OCT-based attenuation coefficient measurement. Results with all four modalities demonstrated a positive ...

Transgenic mouse models have been instrumental in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms behind many genetically based cardiovascular diseases such as Marfan syndrome (MFS). However, the characterization of their cardiac morphology has been hampered by the small size of the mouse heart. In this report, we adapted optical coherence tomography (OCT) for imaging fixed adult mouse hearts, and applied tools from computational anatomy to perform morphometric analyses. The hearts were first optically cleared and imaged from multiple perspectives. The acquired volumes were then corrected for refractive distortions, and registered and stitched together to form a single, high-resolution OCT volume of ...

We present portable preclinical low-coherence interference (LCI) instrumentation for aiding fine needle aspiration biopsies featuring the second-generation LCI-based biopsy probe and an improved scoring algorithm for tissue differentiation. Our instrument and algorithm were tested on 38 mice with cultured tumor mass and we show the specificity, sensitivity, and positive predictive value of tumor detection of over 0.89, 0.88, and 0.96, respectively.

The aqueous outflow system (AOS) is responsible for maintaining normal intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eye. Structures of the AOS have an active role in regulating IOP in healthy eyes and these structures become abnormal in the eyes with glaucoma. We describe a newly developed system platform to obtain high-resolution images of the AOS structures. By incorporating spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), the platform allows us to systematically control, image, and quantitate the responses of AOS tissue to pressure with a millisecond resolution of pulsed flow. We use SD-OCT to image radial limbal segments from the surface of the ...

A wide variety of ocular diseases are associated with abnormalities in ocular circulation. As such, there is considerable interest in techniques for quantifying retinal blood flow, among which Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be the most promising. We present an approach to measure retinal blood flow in the rat using a new optical system that combines the measurement of blood flow velocities via Doppler Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography and the measurement of vessel diameters using a fundus camera-based technique. Relying on fundus images for extraction of retinal vessel diameters instead of OCT images improves the reliability of the technique ...

Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) is a cell-specific cancer therapy based on an armed antibody conjugate that induces rapid and highly selective cancer cell necrosis after exposure to near-infrared (NIR) light. The PIT treatment also induces the superenhanced permeability and retention effect, which allows high concentrations of nanoparticles to accumulate in the tumor bed. In our pilot studies, optical coherence tomography (OCT) reveals dramatic hemodynamic changes during PIT. We developed and applied speckle variance analysis, Doppler flow measurement, bulk motion removal, and automatic region of interest selection to quantify vessel diameter and blood velocity within tumors in vivo . OCT imaging reveals that blood ...

To research retinal stretching or distortion with accommodation, accommodation-induced changes in retinal thickness (RT) in the macular area were investigated in a population of young adults ( n = 23 ) by using a dual-channel spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system manufactured in-house for this study. This dual-channel SD-OCT is capable of imaging the cornea and retina simultaneously with an imaging speed of 24 kHz A-line scan rate, which can provide the anatomical dimensions of the eye, including the RT and axial length. Thus, the modification of the RT with accommodation can be calculated. A significant decrease in the RT ( 13.50 ...

We report on a phase-based method for accurately measuring the ocular pulse in the anterior chamber in vivo . Using phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography with optimized scanning protocols and equations for compensating bulk motion and environmental vibrations, a high sensitivity of 0.9     μ m / s minimal velocity is demonstrated at a wide detection band of 0 to 380 Hz. The pulsatile relative motion between cornea and crystalline lens in rodents is visualized and quantified. The relative motion is most likely caused by respiration (1.6 Hz) and heartbeat (6.6 Hz). The velocity amplitude of the relative motion is 10.3 ...

Most studies evaluating the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for the diagnosis of oral cancer are based on visual assessment of OCT B-scans by trained experts. Human interpretation of the large pool of data acquired by modern high-speed OCT systems, however, can be cumbersome and extremely time consuming. Development of image analysis methods for automated and quantitative OCT image analysis could therefore facilitate the evaluation of such a large volume of data. We report automated algorithms for quantifying structural features that are associated with the malignant transformation of the oral epithelium based on image processing of OCT data. The ...

Despite the existence of automatic segmentation techniques, trained graders still rely on manual segmentation to provide retinal layers and features from clinical optical coherence tomography (OCT) images for accurate measurements. To bridge the gap between this time-consuming need of manual segmentation and currently available automatic segmentation techniques, this paper proposes a user-guided segmentation method to perform the segmentation of retinal layers and features in OCT images. With this method, by interactively navigating three-dimensional (3-D) OCT images, the user first manually defines user-defined (or sketched) lines at regions where the retinal layers appear very irregular for which the automatic segmentation method ...

Speckle statistics of flowing scatterers have been well documented in the literature. Speckle variance optical coherence tomography exploits the large variance values of intensity changes in time caused mainly by the random backscattering of light resulting from translational activity of red blood cells to map out the microvascular networks. A method to map out the microvasculature malformation of skin based on the time-domain histograms of individual pixels is presented with results obtained from both normal skin and skin containing vascular malformation. Results demonstrated that this method can potentially map out deeper blood vessels and enhance the visualization of microvasculature in ...