Optical Coherence Tomography – Variations on a Theme

This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has developed extensively over the last 23 years. This paper reviews some of the imaging techniques based on OCT with particular reference to the trade-offs between lateral and axial resolution, working distance, imaging depth, acquisition speed (enabling real time observation and 3D imaging), imaged area/volume, contrast enhancement – including velocity measurement, and system complexity – including detectors, light sources and the optical path. The majority of applications of OCT are biomedical, especially ophthalmology, endoscopy and intravascular imaging. However, some industrial applications are emerging particularly for non-destructive testing and quality control, such as in the production of MEMS devices, or the non-destructive detection of sub-surface strain fields in injected moulded polymer parts

Contrast enhanced spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

A method of forming an image of a sample includes performing SOCT on a sample. The sample may include a contrast agent, which may include an absorbing agent and/or a scattering agent. A method of forming an image of tissue may include selecting a contrast agent, delivering the contrast agent to the tissue, acquiring SOCT data from the tissue, and converting the SOCT data into an image. The contributions to the SOCT data of an absorbing agent and a scattering agent in a sample may be quantified separately

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Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe optical imaging has a critical role in biomedical research to analyze functional and morphological variation of an organ, tissue and even a single cell of animal models. Since the optical imaging modality has features of indirect access, volumetric analysis and high resolution, it has been used for biomedical analysis. Especially, as a low coherence interferometric imaging technique, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been applied in scientific and medical fields from few decades ago. Since OCT can provide endogenous contrast of biological tissue using the infrared light source, it has high potential to be applied in practical medical diagnosis. However, it is hard to acquire uneven or thick sample due to the limited imaging window and penetration depth. To overcome those limitations, lots of optical, mathematical and chemical solutions comes within a decade such as adaptive optics, full-range method and tissue clearing. Despite the existence of suggested solutions, practical application of OCT is limitation due to the cost of time and effort. Here, we present practical methods to enhance acquirable endogenous information of sample through versatile scanning optical coherence tomography(VS-OCT). Conventional OCT utilizes dual-axis based flat focal plane scanning method providing limited depth information of curved samples. Thus, we developed advanced OCT, called VS-OCT, which can fully optimize imaging window by changing focal plane to dual plane and cylindrical plane. The VS-OCT is demonstrated for 1) quantification of engineered skin, 2) monitoring of tadpole development, 3) screening phenotype of zebrafish and 4) quantification of spinal cord injury (SCI) of mouse.ope

Double Interferometer Design for Independent Wavefront Manipulation in Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a highly versatile method which allows for three dimensional optical imaging in scattering media. A number of recent publications demonstrated the technique to benefit from structured illumination and beam shaping approaches, e.g. to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio or the penetration depth with samples such as biological tissue. We present a compact and easy to implement design for independent wavefront manipulation and beam shaping at the reference and sample arm of the interferometric OCT device. The design requires a single spatial light modulator and can be integrated to existing free space SD-OCT systems by modifying the source arm only. We provide analytical and numerical discussion of the presented design as well as experimental data confirming the theoretical analysis. The system is highly versatile and lends itself for applications where independent phase or wavefront control is required. We demonstrate the system to be used for wavefront sensorless adaptive optics as well as for iterative optical wavefront shaping for OCT signal enhancement in strongly scattering media. © 2019, The Author(s)

Resolution-enhanced OCT and expanded framework of information capacity and resolution in coherent imaging

Spatial resolution in optical microscopy has traditionally been treated as a fixed parameter of the optical system. Here, we present an approach to enhance transverse resolution in beam-scanned optical coherence tomography (OCT) beyond its aberration-free resolution limit, without any modification to the optical system. Based on the theorem of invariance of information capacity, resolution-enhanced (RE)-OCT navigates the exchange of information between resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by exploiting efficient noise suppression via coherent averaging and a simple computational bandwidth expansion procedure. We demonstrate a resolution enhancement of 1.5 times relative to the aberration-free limit while maintaining comparable SNR in silicone phantom. We show that RE-OCT can significantly enhance the visualization of fine microstructural features in collagen gel and ex vivo mouse brain. Beyond RE-OCT, our analysis in the spatial-frequency domain leads to an expanded framework of information capacity and resolution in coherent imaging that contributes new implications to the theory of coherent imaging. RE-OCT can be readily implemented on most OCT systems worldwide, immediately unlocking information that is beyond their current imaging capabilities, and so has the potential for widespread impact in the numerous areas in which OCT is utilized, including the basic sciences and translational medicine.Comment: Supplementary Information is appended to the manuscript file. For associated movies, see Nichaluk Leartprapun and Steven G. Adie, "Resolution-enhanced optical coherence tomography enabled by coherent-average noise suppression," Proc. SPIE 11630, Optical Coherence Tomography and Coherence Domain Optical Methods in Biomedicine XXV, 1163011 (5 March 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.258386

Wavefront shaping approaches for spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables sub-surface three dimensional imaging with micrometer resolution. The technique is based on the time-of-flight gated detection of light which is backscattered from a sample and has applications in non-destructive testing, metrology and contact-less and non-invasive medical diagnostics. With scattering media such as the human skin, the penetration depth is limited to just a few millimetres, on the other hand, and OCT imaging hence allows to investigate superficial sample layers only. Scattering of light is a deterministic process. As a consequence, manipulation of the beam incident to a turbid sample yields control over the scattered field. Following this approach, a number of groups demonstrated iterative wavefront optimization algorithms to be able to focus light transmitted through or backscattered from opaque media. First applications to optical coherence tomography were shown to extend the penetration depth as well as to improve the signal-to-noise ratio when imaging biological tissue. This work explores practical approaches to combine wavefront shaping techniques with OCT imaging. To this end, a compact spectral domain (SD-) OCT design is developed which enables single-pass and independent wavefront control at the reference and at sample beam. Iterative optimization of the phase pattern applied to the sample beam is shown to selectively enhance the amplitude of the OCT signal received from scattering media. In a more sophisticated approach, the acquisition of the time-resolved reflection matrix, which yields the linear dependence of the OCT signal on the field at the sample beam, is demonstrated. Subsequent wavefront optimization based on a phase conjugation algorithm is shown to enhance the OCT signal but not image artefacts, even though no attempt is made to actively suppress these artefacts. The approach is comparable to iterative wavefront optimization but yields a substantially improved acquisition speed. First imaging applications demonstrate the algorithm to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and the penetration depth with scattering media, such as biological tissue, and to reduce the observed speckle contrast, similar to compounding algorithms. Furthermore, the acquisition of the reflection matrix and subsequent signal enhancement based on binary amplitude-only (on/off) beam shaping is presented for the first time. The technique can be implemented with digital micromirror devices which enable high-speed implementations. The presented techniques constitute substantial improvements compared to previous works and yield promising results in the context of depth-enhanced OCT imaging with scattering biological tissue. Approaches to further enhance the performance and the acquisition speed for real-time in-vivo imaging applications are discussed.Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK)/Tailored Light/78904-63-6/16/E

Spectral Interferometry with Frequency Combs

In this review paper, we provide an overview of the state of the art in linear interferometric techniques using laser frequency comb sources. Diverse techniques including Fourier transform spectroscopy, linear spectral interferometry and swept-wavelength interferometry are covered in detail. The unique features brought by laser frequency comb sources are shown, and specific applications highlighted in molecular spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography and the characterization of photonic integrated devices and components. Finally, the possibilities enabled by advances in chip scale swept sources and frequency combs are discussed

Angiography and Monitoring of Hemodynamic Signals in the Brain via Optical Coherence Tomography

The brain is a complex network of interconnected neurons with each cell functioning as a nonlinear processing unit. Neural responses to stimulus can be described by activity in neurons. While blood flow changes have been associated with neural activity and are critical to brain function, this neurovascular coupling is not well understood. This work presents a technique for neurovascular interrogation, combining optogenetics and optical coherence tomography. Optogenetics is a recently developed neuromodulation technique to control activity in the brain using light with precise spatial neuronal control and high temporal resolution. Using this method, cells act as light-gated ion channels and respond to photo stimulation by increasing or decreasing activity. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a noninvasive imaging modality that has the ability to image millimeter range depth and with micrometer resolution. SD-OCT has been shown to image rodent cortical microvasculature in-vivo and detect hemodynamic changes in blood vessels. Our proposed system combines optogenetics and SD-OCT to image cortical patches of the brain with the capability of simultaneously stimulating the brain. The combination allows investigation of the hemodynamic changes in response to neural stimulation. Our results detected changes in blood vessel diameter and velocity before, during and after optogenetic stimulation and is presented

Wavefront shaping concepts for application in optical coherence tomography - a review

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables three-dimensional imaging with resolution on the micrometer scale. The technique relies on the time-of-flight gated detection of light scattered from a sample and has received enormous interest in applications as versatile as non-destructive testing, metrology and non-invasive medical diagnostics. However, in strongly scattering media such as biological tissue, the penetration depth and imaging resolution are limited. Combining OCT imaging with wavefront shaping approaches significantly leverages the capabilities of the technique by controlling the scattered light field through manipulation of the field incident on the sample. This article reviews the main concepts developed so far in the field and discusses the latest results achieved with a focus on signal enhancement and imaging. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland