Common-path Optical Coherence Tomography Research Articles

Tissue characterization using axicon probe-assisted common-path optical coherence tomography

In this work, a common-path optical coherence tomography (OCT) system is demonstrated for characterizing the tissue in terms of some optical properties. A negative axicon structure chemically etched inside the fiber tip is employed as optical probe in the OCT. This probe generates a quality Bessel beam owning a large depth-of-field, ∼700 µm and small central spot size, ∼3 µm. The OCT system is probing the sample without using any microscopic lens. For experimental validation, the OCT imaging of chicken tissue has been obtained along with estimation of its refractive index and optical attenuation coefficient. Afterwards, the cancerous tissue is differentiated from the normal tissue based on the OCT imaging, refractive index, and optical attenuation coefficient. The respective tissue samples are collected from the human liver and pancreas. This probe could be a useful tool for endoscopic or minimal-invasive inspection of malignancy inside the tissue either at early-stage or during surgery.

Reflective axicon based energy-efficient extended depth of focus quasi-Bessel beam probe for common-path optical coherence tomography.

This work presents an optical fiber negative/reflective axicon probe that generates an energy-efficient quasi-Bessel beam (QBB) having a central spot (CS) possessing ∼20% of the QBB power. With silver coating around the axicon, the CS power has been increased by ∼45%. The QBB possesses a large depth of field, ∼400µm, with a micron order spot size as obtained experimentally. The probe has further been explored for common-path optical coherence tomography. The probe length has been optimized to minimize the path length difference between the reference and sample signal. With a divergence angle of just 0.013°, the beam provides a lateral resolution of ∼2.5 to ∼16µm for an axial distance of 0.1 to 1.0mm. The imaging results are presented for standard samples such as onion and Scotch tape.

Common path optical coherence tomography with electronic feedback for improved sensitivity

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging has become a useful tool in medical diagnosis over the past 25 years, because of its ability to visualize intracellular structures at high resolution. The main objective of this work is to add electronic feedback to the optical coherence tomography setup to increase its sensitivity. Noise added to the measured interferogram obscures some details of examined tissue layered structure. Adjusting signal power level in such a way to improve signal-to-noise ratio can help to enhance image quality. Electronic feedback is added to enhance system sensitivity. A logarithmic amplifier is included in the OCT setup to automatically adapt signal level. Moreover, the resolution of the optical spectrum analyzer is controlled according to the farthest layer detected in the A-scan. These techniques are tested showing an improvement in obtained image of a human nail.

Reflective axicon based energy-efficient extended depth of focus Quasi-Bessel beam probe for common-path optical coherence tomography

Reflective axicon based energy-efficient extended depth of focus Quasi-Bessel beam probe for common-path optical coherence tomography

Convolutional neural network-based common-path optical coherence tomography A-scan boundary-tracking training and validation using a parallel Monte Carlo synthetic dataset.

We present a parallel Monte Carlo (MC) simulation platform for rapidly generating synthetic common-path optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) A-scan image dataset for image-guided needle insertion. The computation time of the method has been evaluated on different configurations and 100000 A-scan images are generated based on 50 different eye models. The synthetic dataset is used to train an end-to-end convolutional neural network (Ascan-Net) to localize the Descemet's membrane (DM) during the needle insertion. The trained Ascan-Net has been tested on the A-scan images collected from the ex-vivo human and porcine cornea as well as simulated data and shows improved tracking accuracy compared to the result by using the Canny-edge detector.

Truncated Conical-Tip Fiber Probe for Common-Path Optical Coherence Tomography With Optimal Sensitivity

A truncated conical-tip fiber probe was developed for common-path (CP) swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) with optimized sensitivity. The probe was fabricated by mechanically polishing a conical no-core fiber (NCF) spliced to a section of gradient-index (GRIN) fiber. The GRIN fiber expanded the sample light at the entrance of the conical tip, and the conical tip generated the Bessel beam with a spot size of ~2.2 μm over a depth of focus (DOF) of 90 μm. Improvement in the DOF was experimentally verified by measuring the axial profile of the output beam from the probe tip. Moreover, the truncated fiber tip with a flat surface significantly increased the reflectivity of the reference light compared with an untreated conical tip. A 6.6 dB sensitivity improvement was achieved by increasing the diameter of the flat surface from 2.8 μm to 5.8 μm. The performance of the probe was further examined by imaging a multi-layer translucent tape as well as a mouse lung tissue. The designed fiber probe with a high resolution and optimized sensitivity is attractive to common-path OCT imaging in biomedical and clinical applications.

Spatial Assessment of Heterogeneous Tissue Natural Frequency Using Micro-Force Optical Coherence Elastography.

Analysis of corneal tissue natural frequency was recently proposed as a biomarker for corneal biomechanics and has been performed using high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based elastography (OCE). However, it remains unknown whether natural frequency analysis can resolve local variations in tissue structure. We measured heterogeneous samples to evaluate the correspondence between natural frequency distributions and regional structural variations. Sub-micrometer sample oscillations were induced point-wise by microliter air pulses (60–85 Pa, 3 ms) and detected correspondingly at each point using a 1,300 nm spectral domain common path OCT system with 0.44 nm phase detection sensitivity. The resulting oscillation frequency features were analyzed via fast Fourier transform and natural frequency was characterized using a single degree of freedom (SDOF) model. Oscillation features at each measurement point showed a complex frequency response with multiple frequency components that corresponded with global structural features; while the variation of frequency magnitude at each location reflected the local sample features. Silicone blocks (255.1 ± 11.0 Hz and 249.0 ± 4.6 Hz) embedded in an agar base (355.6 ± 0.8 Hz and 361.3 ± 5.5 Hz) were clearly distinguishable by natural frequency. In a beef shank sample, central fat and connective tissues had lower natural frequencies (91.7 ± 58.2 Hz) than muscle tissue (left side: 252.6 ± 52.3 Hz; right side: 161.5 ± 35.8 Hz). As a first step, we have shown the possibility of natural frequency OCE methods to characterize global and local features of heterogeneous samples. This method can provide additional information on corneal properties, complementary to current clinical biomechanical assessments, and could become a useful tool for clinical detection of ocular disease and evaluation of medical or surgical treatment outcomes.

Downward viewing common-path optical coherence tomography guided hydro-dissection needle for DALK.

Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) is a partial-thickness cornea transplant procedure in which only the recipient's stroma is replaced, leaving the host's Descemet's membrane (DM) and endothelium intact. This highly challenging "Big Bubble" procedure requires micron accuracy to insert a hydro-dissection needle as close as possible to the DM. Here, we report the design and evaluation of a downward viewing common-path optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided hydro-dissection needle for DALK. This design offers the flexibility of using different insertion angles and needle sizes. With the fiber situated outside the needle and eye, the needle can use its' full lumen for a smoother air/fluid injection and image quality is improved. The common-path OCT probe uses a bare optical fiber with its tip cleaved at the right angle for both reference and sample arm which is encapsulated in a 25-gauge stainless still tube. The fiber was set up vertically with a half-ball epoxy lens at the end to provide an A-scan with an 11-degree downward field of view. The hydro dissection needle was set up at 70 degrees from vertical and the relative position between the fiber end and the needle tip remained constant during the insertion. The fiber and needle were aligned by a customized needle driver to allow the needle tip and tissue underneath to both be imaged within the same A-scan. Fresh porcine eyes (N = 5) were used for the studies. The needle tip position, the stroma, and DM were successfully identified from the A-scan during the whole insertion process. The results showed the downward viewing OCT distal sensor can accurately guide the needle insertion for DALK and improved the average insertion depth compared to freehand insertion.

Handheld optical coherence tomography scanner using a common-path probing arm with long working distance

In this study, a bending insensitive handheld optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner is developed by means of common-path interferometric technique. The OCT source light is sent into a fiber based Michelson interferometer firstly and split into two portions. Light output from the Michelson interferometer, which consisting of two light components with different optical delay, is then guided into a common-path OCT probing arm with the extended working distance. The distal end of the probing fiber is polished with a small angle to serve as the reference plane of the OCT system. Theoretical analysis is carried out to derive the expression of the interference signal for the proposed imaging method, which agrees with experimental results. Measured OCT sensitivity is 100.9 dB at the sampling power of 580 μW. The performance of the OCT scanner is demonstrated through imaging biological samples.

CNN-based CP-OCT sensor integrated with a subretinal injector for retinal boundary tracking and injection guidance.

.Significance: Subretinal injection is an effective way of delivering transplant genes and cells to treat many degenerative retinal diseases. However, the technique requires high-dexterity and microscale precision of experienced surgeons, who have to overcome the physiological hand tremor and limited visualization of the subretinal space.Aim: To automatically guide the axial motion of microsurgical tools (i.e., a subretinal injector) with microscale precision in real time using a fiber-optic common-path swept-source optical coherence tomography distal sensor.Approach: We propose, implement, and study real-time retinal boundary tracking of A-scan optical coherence tomography (OCT) images using a convolutional neural network (CNN) for automatic depth targeting of a selected retinal boundary for accurate subretinal injection guidance. A simplified 1D U-net is used for the retinal layer segmentation on A-scan OCT images. A Kalman filter, combining retinal boundary position measurement by CNN and velocity measurement by cross correlation between consecutive A-scan images, is applied to optimally estimate the retinal boundary position. Unwanted axial motions of the surgical tools are compensated by a piezoelectric linear motor based on the retinal boundary tracking.Results: CNN-based segmentation on A-scan OCT images achieves the mean unsigned error (MUE) of () using an ex vivo bovine retina model. GPU parallel computing allows real-time inference () and thus real-time retinal boundary tracking. Involuntary tremors, which include low-frequency draft in hundreds of micrometers and physiological tremors in tens of micrometers, are compensated effectively. The standard deviations of photoreceptor (PR) and choroid (CH) boundary positions get as low as when the depth targeting is activated.Conclusions: A CNN-based common-path OCT distal sensor successfully tracks retinal boundaries, especially the PR/CH boundary for subretinal injection, and automatically guides the tooltip’s axial position in real time. The microscale depth targeting accuracy of our system shows its promising possibility for clinical application.

In vivo human corneal natural frequency quantification using dynamic optical coherence elastography: Repeatability and reproducibility

Reliable and quantitative assessment of corneal biomechanics is important for the detection and treatment of corneal disease. The present study evaluates the repeatability and reproducibility of a novel optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based elastography (OCE) method for in vivo quantification of corneal natural frequency in 20 normal human eyes. Sub-micron corneal oscillations were induced by repeated low-force (13 Pa) microliter air pulses at the corneal apex and were observed by common-path phase-sensitive OCT imaging adjacent to a measurement region of 1–6.25 mm2. Corneal natural frequencies were quantified using a single degree of freedom model based on the corneal oscillations. Corneal natural frequencies ranged from 234 to 277 Hz (coefficient of variation: 3.2%; n = 286 for a 2.5 × 2.5 mm2 area; time: 28.6 s). The same natural frequencies can be acquired using a smaller sampling size (n = 9 for 1 mm2) and a shorter time (0.9 s). Spatial distribution and local changes in natural frequencies can be distinguished using denser sampling (e.g., 26 × 41 points for 2.5 × 5 mm2). This novel optical method demonstrates highly repeatable and reliable in vivo measurements of human corneal natural frequencies. While further studies are required to fully characterize anatomical and structural dependencies, this method may be complementary to the current OCE methods used to estimate Young’s modulus from strain- or shear-wave-based measurements for the quantitative determination of corneal biomechanics.

Oblique injection depth correction by a two parallel OCT sensor guided handheld SMART injector.

We present a SMART injector with two parallel common-path optical coherence tomography fibers to enable angle measurements and injection depth corrections for oblique subretinal injection. The two optical fibers are attached to opposite sides of a 33 G needle with known offsets and designed to pass through a 23 G trocar that has an inner diameter of 0.65 mm. By attaching a SMART system to a rotational stage, the measured angles are calibrated for minimal error from reference angles. A commercial eye model was used to evaluate the control performance, and injection experiments were performed on a phantom made of agarose gel and a porcine eye.

Characterization of natural frequencies from nanoscale tissue oscillations using dynamic optical coherence elastography.

We demonstrate the use of OCT-based elastography for soft-tissue characterization using natural frequency oscillations. Sub-micrometer to sub-nanometer oscillations were induced in tissue phantoms and human cornea in vivo by perpendicular air-pulse stimulation and observed by common-path OCT imaging (sensitivity: 0.24 nm). Natural frequency and damping ratio were acquired in temporal and frequency domains using a single degree of freedom method. The dominant natural frequency was constant for different stimulation pressures (4-32 Pa) and measured distances (0.3-5.3 mm), and decreased as the sample thickness increased. The dominant natural frequencies of 0.75-2% agar phantoms were 127-774 Hz (mean coefficient of variation [CV]: 0.9%), and correlated with the square root of Young's moduli (16.5-117.8 kPa, mean CV: 5.8%). These preliminary studies show repeatable in vivo corneal natural frequency measurements (259 Hz, CV: 1.9%). This novel OCE approach can distinguish tissues and materials with different mechanical properties using the small-amplitude tissue oscillation features, and is suitable for characterizing delicate tissues in vivo such as the eye.

Intraoperative imaging based on common-path time-domain reflectometry for brain tumor surgery

Minimally invasive intraoperative imaging plays a crucial role in delicate microsurgeries for precise operation monitoring in which fiber optic imaging can be considered as an endoscopy and surgical proximity guidance tool due to its compactness. This paper presents a near-infrared time-domain reflectometric common-path optical coherence tomography imaging technique using a bare-fiber probe mounted directly on a scanning galvanometer. The common-path setup allows the use of a freely adjustable optical path length and a disposable fiber probe, as well as eliminating the need for an additional dedicated reference optical path. Experimental results demonstrate clear discrimination between the brain tumor tissue and the normal tissue for mouse brains with the images acquired in real-time over a wide area. The proposed method enables real-time and in situ visualization of tumor resection for intraoperative imaging, and this study demonstrates the feasibility of its application to microsurgical interventions.

Long-range common-path spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

Fiber-based common-path spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is compact and polarization insensitive, which is usually used in endoscopic biomedical imaging. In this study, we investigate a method to extend the working distance of a common-path SD-OCT system. Common-path OCT light, which consisting of sample and reference light signal, is directed into a free space optical interferometer. The OCT light is split spatially into two beam segments by a wavefront-splitting mirror, and the two parallel beams interfere noncollinearly in the interferometer. Distance between the end of the probing fiber, which serves as the reference plane of our OCT system, and the OCT sample is about 140 mm. The OCT performance is demonstrated by imaging biological samples. The proposed method can be used to develop polarization insensitive OCT probe for biomedical imaging applications.

Common-Path Optical Coherence Tomography Using the Bessel Beam From Negative Axicon Optical Fiber Tip

In this work, a deep-seated negative axicon fiber tip (DSNA-FT) generating the Bessel–Gauss beam is proposed as an optical probe for a common-path optical coherence tomography (CPOCT) imaging. The axicon at the optical fiber tip is fabricated by etching the tip of a selective optical fiber in hydrofluoric acid under the influence of capillary action. The nondiffracting type quasi-Bessel beam from the DSNA-FT having a long depth of field, ∼0.7 mm, is used for the CPOCT imaging of different type of samples, i.e., sticky tape, fish scale, and rice grain. The CPOCT with unique and simple optical fiber probe has achieved lateral resolution at least ∼3.3 μm maintained up to 3 mm working distance in air. This optical fiber tip is an excellent candidate for an endoscopic probe design.

70 μm diameter optical probe for common-path optical coherence tomography in air and liquids.

We investigate and validate a novel method to fabricate ultrathin optical probes for common-path optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT). The probes are obtained using a 65μm barium titanate microsphere inserted into an inward concave cone chemically etched at the end of a single-mode fiber. We demonstrate that the high refractive index (n=1.95) of the barium titanate microspheres allows one to maintain high sensitivity even while imaging in liquids, reaching a sensitivity of 83dB. Due to its low cost, flexibility, and ease of use, the probe holds promise for the development of a new generation of ultrathin needle-based OCT systems.

Two-photon polymerisation 3D printed freeform micro-optics for optical coherence tomography fibre probes

Miniaturised optical coherence tomography (OCT) fibre-optic probes have enabled high-resolution cross-sectional imaging deep within the body. However, existing OCT fibre-optic probe fabrication methods cannot generate miniaturised freeform optics, which limits our ability to fabricate probes with both complex optical function and dimensions comparable to the optical fibre diameter. Recently, major advances in two-photon direct laser writing have enabled 3D printing of arbitrary three-dimensional micro/nanostructures with a surface roughness acceptable for optical applications. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of 3D printing of OCT probes. We evaluate the capability of this method based on a series of characterisation experiments. We report fabrication of a micro-optic containing an off-axis paraboloidal total internal reflecting surface, its integration as part of a common-path OCT probe, and demonstrate proof-of-principle imaging of biological samples.

Spectroscopic characterization of Si/Mo thin-film stack at extreme ultraviolet range.

A noninvasive method for characterizing Si/Mo thin-film stack thickness and its complex transfer function using common-path optical coherence tomography is proposed, analyzed, and experimentally demonstrated. A laser-produced plasma (LPP)-based extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source was excited by a four-stage nanosecond Yb:fiber laser amplifier with a pulse energy of 1.01mJ. The tabletop LPP EUV source was compact and stable for generating the EUV interference fringes. The measured complex transfer function of the Si/Mo stack was verified near the pristine 13.5-nm wavelength range.

In‐line optical fiber metallic mirror reflector for monolithic common path optical coherence tomography probes

Endoscopic optical coherence tomography probes suffer from various artifacts due to dispersion imbalance and polarization mismatch between reference and sample arm light. Such artifacts can be minimized using a common path approach. In this work, we demonstrate a miniaturized common path probe for optical coherence tomography using an inline fiber mirror. A common path optical fiber probe suitable for performing high-resolution endoscopic optical coherence tomography imaging was developed. To achieve common path functionality, an inline fiber mirror was fabricated using a thin gold layer. A commercially available swept source engine was used to test the designed probe in a cadaver human coronary artery ex vivo. We achieved a sensitivity of 104 dB for this probe using a swept source optical coherence tomography system. To test the probe, images of a cadaver human coronary artery were obtained, demonstrating the quality that is comparable to those obtained by OCT systems with separate reference arms. Additionally, we demonstrate recovery of ranging depth by use of a Michelson interferometer in the detection path. We developed a miniaturized monolithic inline fiber mirror-based common path probe for optical coherence tomography. Owing to its simplicity, our design will be helpful in endoscopic applications that require high-resolution probes in a compact form factor while reducing system complexity. Lasers Surg. Med. 50:230-235, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.