Optical Coherence Tomography Reflectivity Research Articles

ZJUT-EIFD: A Synchronously Collected External and Internal Fingerprint Database.

External fingerprints (EFs) based only on epidermal information are vulnerable to spoofing attacks and non-ideal skin conditions. To solve such shortcomings, internal fingerprints (IFs) collected using optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been proposed and widely researched. However, the development of IF is limited by the lack of in-depth researches on the IF and the EF-IF interoperability, which is partially caused by the lack of public OCT database. The obvious gap in the applications of EF and IF recognition motivated us to design and publish a comprehensive fingerprint database containing both traditional EFs and OCT IFs, denoted as ZJUT-EIFD. To the best of our knowledge, ZJUT-EIFD is the first public database that combines OCT and total internal reflection (TIR) via synchronous acquisition, with 399 different fingers from 60 subjects. In this article, the composition of the database, the quality of EFs and IFs, and the verification performance of different types of fingerprints were detailed. In addition, potential application directions of ZJUT-EIFD were demonstrated. ZJUT-EIFD can serve benchmarks and interoperability tests for EF-IF research, which will promote the research and development of EF and IF.

Invited Session V: The eye as a window to systemic and neurodegenerative health: Seeking Answers through a keyhole: Harnessing the Synergy of Dynamic OCT/OCT Angiography and Adaptive Optics SLO for Retinal Assessment of Systemic Disease.

The retina is our only non-invasive access to microworld of the body's capillaries and cellular activities. Leveraging the multimodal synergy of combining dynamic methods of OCT/OCTA, with Adaptive Optics SLO, clinicians have new opportunities to better appreciate some of the complexities of human disease. Serial OCTA imaging can reveal inconsistencies in retinal perfusion not appreciated on single images and can be used to measure activity status of sickle cell microvasculopathy. This approach facilitates earlier detection and immediate assessment of disease burden. AOSLO imaging provides cellular level resolution for confirmation of these OCTA events. En face OCT reflectance images which accompany OCTA studies offer a glimpse of the macrophage-like cellular activity above the retinal surface which responds to systemically instigated vascular events below. The complementary use of AOSLO to characterize morphology of these cells provides clues to their activation status and potential role in tissue maintenance and repair. Features of clinical OCT/OCTA interpreted by AOSLO imaging have the potential to become useful clinical biomarkers of disease activity and response to treatment.

The Extent of Silicone Oil Emulsification Revealed by Ultra-wide-field Fundus Photography and Optical Coherence Tomography

Purpose: We assessed the extent of silicone oil (SO) emulsification using ultra-wide-field fundus photography (wFP) and the reflective ratios of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 51 eyes of 51 patients who underwent intravitreal SO tamponade with vitrectomy. Two weeks after SO tamponade and immediately before SO removal, ultra-wide-field fundus photography and SS-OCT were performed. Based on the numbers of emulsified droplets in the ultra-wide-field fundus photographs, SO emulsification was qualitatively graded from 0 to 4. Reflective ratios were calculated by dividing the OCT reflectivity of the optic cup by the OCT reflectivity of SO near the retinal surface. We analyzed the changes in the SO emulsification grade and the reflective ratio over time (RR2/RR1).Results: The SO emulsification grade revealed by ultra-wide-field fundus photography was 2.12 ± 1.29, and the mean SS-OCT RR2/RR1 value was 1.14 ± 0.22. A longer duration of SO tamponade was associated with a higher emulsification grade on ultra-wide-field fundus photography and an increase in the RR2/RR1 value (both <i>p</i> < 0.01). We found a significant correlation between the SO emulsification grade on ultra-wide-field fundus photography and the SS-OCT RR2/RR1 (<i>p</i> = 0.028).Conclusions: Ultra-wide-field fundus photography and SS-OCT can be used to determine objectively the extent of SO emulsification; this may indicate the appropriate SO removal time any complication.

BENIGN FOVEAL DEPIGMENTATION: A MULTIMODAL IMAGING INVESTIGATION.

To describe the multimodal imaging characteristics of benign foveal depigmentation. The study was designed as prospective observational case series. Patients with benign foveal depigmentation were prospectively investigated by means of multimodal imaging, including blue-light and near-infrared fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography, color testing, microperimetry, and electrophysiology. The main outcome measures were vessel density and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/photoreceptor complex OCT reflectivity. Overall, 4 patients were identified, with bilateral and unilateral involvement in 1 case and 3 cases, respectively. Fundus autofluorescence provided variable results, showing more impairment on near-infrared fundus autofluorescence. Structural OCT revealed slight attenuation of the outer retinal bands in the area affected by benign foveal depigmentation, associated with choroidal hypertransmission, whereas enface OCT better delineated the attenuation of the reflectivity signal. The mean reflectivity intensity of RPE/photoreceptor complex was statistically significantly reduced in patients with respect to control subjects in the benign foveal depigmentation area. Optical coherence tomography angiography, color testing, microperimetry, electrooculogram, and electroretinogram findings were normal. Benign foveal depigmentation may represent a focal RPE disease. The limited alterations within the RPE band, as visualized on enface OCT and confirmed on near-infrared fundus autofluorescence, suggest an impairment in melanin production or distribution within the RPE cells.

Measurement of the Macular Hole Diameter by En Face Slab Optical Coherence Tomography Reflectance Imaging.

PurposeTo evaluate the repeatability of macular hole (MH) diameter measurement on en face slab optical coherence tomography (OCT) reflectance images and assess its potential to predict visual acuity (VA).MethodsWe enrolled 27 eyes with full-thickness MHs in this study. Preoperative en face slab OCT reflectance images were obtained. Image binarization, ellipse approximation, and uncorrected measurement of minimum diameter, min(ef_uc), and maximum diameter, max(ef_uc), were performed using ImageJ. In addition, magnification-corrected diameters were calculated as min(ef) and max(ef) using the Littman and modified Bennett formulas. Spectral-domain OCT horizontal images were used as the conventional method for the analysis: min(conv) and max(conv). The inter-rater reliability of the method was evaluated by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The following relationships were analyzed: (1) between logMAR VA and min(ef_uc), min(ef), and min(conv); and (2) between logMAR VA and max(ef_uc), max(ef), and max(conv).ResultsThe min(ef) and max(ef) values were 439.4 ± 240.5 µm and 720.7 ± 346.1 µm, respectively. The ICC values were 0.985 and 0.999 for min(ef) and max(ef), and 0.885 and 0.909 for min(conv) and max(conv), respectively. Multivariate analysis suggested that min(ef), but not min(ef_uc) or min(conv), was associated with pre- and postoperative logMAR VA. Furthermore, max(ef), but not max(ef_uc) or max(conv), was also closely correlated with pre- and postoperative logMAR VA.ConclusionsThe MH diameter measured by our method is highly reproducible and closely associated with VA compared to that measured by the conventional method.Translational RelevanceThe MH diameter measured by this modality might serve as an accurate biomarker to predict visual function in eyes with MH.

Optical Coherence Tomography Reflectivity in Foveal Cysts: A Novel Biomarker for Early-Response Prediction of Diabetic Macular Edema Treated with Dexamethasone.

This study investigated spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) biomarkers to predict short-term anatomical improvement for diabetic macular edema (DME) after dexamethasone (DEX) injection in intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) non-responders. This retrospective comparative study included 31 eyes of 31 patients with DME unresponsive to anti-VEGF, divided into better and lesser responder groups. OCT prior to DEX injection was used to evaluate the morphological features including optical density (ODN) and optical density ratio (ODR) of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) cysts. Correlations between baseline OCT parameters and mean central macular thickness (CMT) changes at 1 month were analyzed. There were no between-group differences in age, sex, number of previous anti-VEGF injections, duration of diabetes, or HbA1c level. However, ODN and ODR values in ONL cysts were lower in the better responder group (p = 0.020 and p < 0.001, respectively). ODN and ODR showed negative correlations with CMT changes (R = −0.546, p = 0.002 and R = −0.436, p = 0.014, respectively). Higher OCT reflectivity in the foveal cystoid space was associated with a lesser decrease in CMT after DEX injection in anti-VEGF non-responders, suggesting the usefulness of this parameter in predicting short-term CMT responses after DEX injection.

Contributed Session I: Mitochondrial distribution in the outer plexiform layer of human retina - Does it correlate with reflectivity in OCT?

Mitochondria are organelles essential for cellular metabolism that also contribute reflectivity to optical coherence tomography (OCT) via Mie scattering. To find reflectivity sources, we assessed mitochondrial distribution of outer plexiform layer (OPL) using comprehensive volume electron microscopy. Parafoveal retina of a 21-year-old male donor was subject to serial block-face scanning electron microscopy in 5×5×50 nm³ voxels. A convolutional neural network (U-Net) was used to train and generate a deep learning model from manually annotated mitochondria ground truth (Dragonfly 2020.1, Object Research Systems). Using this model, mitochondrial volume and occupancy were calculated as a function of retinal depth and plotted as a longitudinal profile. Photoreceptor terminals contained clusters of ovoid mitochondria. Dendrites of bipolar neurons exhibited long and slender mitochondria. The OPL mitochondrial distribution had three layers of higher density (photoreceptor terminals, bipolar/ horizontal processes, neuropil at the border of inner nuclear layer) interleaved by two bands of lower mitochondrial occupancy (8.5-13.8%). Mitochondria occupied &lt;1% of the Henle fiber. Automated segmentation yielded exceptional performance vs ground truth (Dice coefficient=0.96). Evidence of multilaminar distribution of mitochondria in the OPL support hypothesis of a subcellular origin of OCT reflectivity bands. Correlative studies using AO-OCT is currently under ongoing investigation.

Influence of different sized nanoparticles combined with ultrasound on the optical properties of in vitro knee joint and knee osteoarthritis cartilage tissue was studied by OCT and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

The penetration and accumulation of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with different sizes in human normal knee joint (NKJ) tissue and knee osteoarthritis (OA) tissue were studied by continuous optical coherence tomography and diffuse reflectance (DR) spectroscopy in this paper, and the effects of ZnO NPs of two sizes (30 nm and 90 nm) and ultrasound (US) on the optical properties of human NKJ and OA tissue were evaluated. The results show that the average attenuation coefficients of NKJ tissue decrease by 14.90%, 26.91%, 33.52% and 37.01%, and the DR spectra increases by 8.444%, 12.901%, 18.219% and 26.125%, respectively, after being treated with 90 nm ZnO NPs, 90 nm ZnO NPs/US, 30 nm ZnO NPs and 30 nm ZnO NPs/US. The average attenuation coefficients of OA tissue are reduced by 32.14%, 49.51%, 57.85% and 72.30%, and the DR spectra increase by 17.426%, 23.116%, 25.218% and 29.326%, respectively, after being treated with 90 nm ZnO NPs, 90 nm ZnO NPs/US, 30 nm ZnO NPs and 30 nm ZnO NPs/US. It is concluded that the optical properties of NKJ and OA tissues are greatly influenced by ZnO NPs and US. Nanoparticles have a greater impact on OA tissue than on NKJ tissue.

Association of inner retinal reflectivity with qualitative and quantitative changes in retinal layers over time in diabetic eyes without retinopathy.

To assess the course of neurodegeneration based on retinal layer thickness and integrity analysis in diabetic patients without retinopathy and to evaluate its association with inner retinal reflectivity. This retrospective case-control study included 80 eyes of 80 patients with DM without retinopathy and 40 eyes of 40 healthy subjects with a follow-up of ≥1 year. SD-OCT was used for assessment of retinal reflectivity and macular layer thicknesses. Optical intensity ratios (OIRs) were defined as the mean OCT reflectivity of ganglion cell and inner nuclear layer to the mean reflectivity of RPE. After Bonferroni correction, thinning in pericentral, superior and nasal sectors in total retina, superior ganglion cell, pericentral and nasal inner plexiform, and superior inner retinal layers, as well as thickening in inferior and pericentral outer plexiform layer remained significant in the study group (p < 0.0125). Ganglion cell layer OIR significantly correlated with the changes in superior retina (r = 0.278, p = 0.013), central inner retina (r = 0.247, p = 0.027), and pericentral retinal thickness (r = 0.240, p = 0.032), and no eyes had disruption of retinal layers in the study group initially or finally. Ganglion cell layer reflectivity significantly correlated with the amount of pericentral retinal thinning during the time course in the diabetic group, which was more prominent in the inner retinal layers.

Phase-stabilized complex-decorrelation angiography.

In this study, we developed a novel phase-stabilized complex-decorrelation (PSCD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography (OCTA) method that can generate high quality OCTA images. This method has been validated using three different types of OCT systems and compared with conventional complex- and amplitude-based OCTA algorithms. Our results suggest that in combination with a pre-processing phase stabilization method, the PSCD method is insensitive to bulk motion phase shifts, less dependent on OCT reflectance than conventional complex methods and demonstrates extended dynamic range of flow signal, in contrast to other two methods.

Optical coherence tomography features of the repair tissue following RPE tear and their correlation with visual outcomes

To assess the optical coherence tomography (OCT) features of the repair tissue after retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tear in neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Retrospective, observational study. Medical and imaging records of patients that developed tears after starting anti-VEGF treatment and with at least 12 months of follow-up were reviewed. OCT reflectivity of the RPE-subretinal hyperreflective tissue (SHT) complex was measured at 6, 12 and 18 months (when available). Reflectivity of the adjacent unaffected RPE-Bruch’s membrane was taken as internal reference. Other variables: grade and rip occurrence (early/late); number of intravitreal injections; type of macular neovascularization; sub-macular hemorrhage (SMH) at onset. Forty-nine eyes (age: 76.1 ± 7.0 years; VA: 0.54 ± 0.27 LogMAR) were included. Thirty-eight eyes had OCT signs of healing during the follow-up, with 21 showing SMH at baseline. Final VA positively correlated with the number of injections and negatively correlated with the RPE-SHT reflectivity and the presence of SMH (p < 0.001). Reflectivity of the RPE-SHT complex was positively associated with time and SMH at baseline (p < 0.05). In our study, most eyes showed signs of tissue repair after RPE tear. The reflectivity of repair tissue, the SMH presence and the number of anti-VEGF injections appeared to be major predictors of visual outcomes.

Attenuation corrected-optical coherence tomography for quantitative assessment of skin wound healing and scar morphology.

Imaging the structural modifications of underlying tissues is vital to monitor wound healing. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images high-resolution sub-surface information, but suffers a loss of intensity with depth, limiting quantification. Hence correcting the attenuation loss is important. We performed swept source-OCT of full-thickness excision wounds for 300 days in mice skin. We used single-scatter attenuation models to determine and correct the attenuation loss in the images. The phantom studies established the correspondence of corrected-OCT intensity (reflectivity) with matrix density and hydration. We histologically validated the corrected-OCT and measured the wound healing rate. We noted two distinct phases of healing-rapid and steady-state. We also detected two compartments in normal scars using corrected OCT that otherwise were not visible in the OCT scans. The OCT reflectivity in the scar compartments corresponded to distinct cell populations, mechanical properties and composition. OCT reflectivity has potential applications in evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of healing and characterizing scars.

Imaging of Macrophage-Like Cells in Living Human Retina Using Clinical OCT.

PurposeTo image retinal macrophages at the vitreoretinal interface in the living human retina using a clinical optical coherence tomography (OCT) device.MethodsEighteen healthy controls and three patients with retinopathies were imaged using a clinical spectral-domain OCT. In controls, 10 sequential scans were collected at three different locations: (1) ∼9 degrees temporal to the fovea, (2) the macula, and (3) the optic nerve head (ONH). Intervisit repeatability was evaluated by imaging the temporal retina twice on the same day and 3 days later. Only 10 scans at the temporal retina were obtained from each patient. A 3-µm OCT reflectance (OCT-R) slab located above the inner limiting membrane (ILM) surface was averaged.ResultsIn controls, ramified macrophage-like cells with regular spatial separation were visualized in the temporal and ONH OCT-R images; however, cell structures were not resolvable at the macula. Interim changes in cell position suggestive of cell translocation were observed between images collected on the same day and those collected 3 days later. There was considerable variation in cell density and nearest-neighbor distance (NND) across controls. Mean ± SD cell densities measured at the temporal and ONH were 78 ± 23 cells/mm2 and 57 ± 16 cells/mm2, respectively. Similarly, mean ± SD NNDs measured at the temporal and ONH were 74.3 ± 13.3 µm and 93.3 ± 20.0 µm, respectively. Nonuniform spatial distribution and altered morphology of the cells were identified in patients with retinopathies.Conclusions Our findings showed regular spatial separation and ramified morphology of macrophage-like cells on the ILM surface with cell translocation over time in controls. Their distribution and morphology suggest an origin of macrophage-like cells such as microglia or hyalocytes.

Robust non-perfusion area detection in three retinal plexuses using convolutional neural network in OCT angiography.

Non-perfusion area (NPA) is a quantitative biomarker useful for characterizing ischemia in diabetic retinopathy (DR). Projection-resolved optical coherence tomographic angiography (PR-OCTA) allows visualization of retinal capillaries and quantify NPA in individual plexuses. However, poor scan quality can make current NPA detection algorithms unreliable and inaccurate. In this work, we present a robust NPA detection algorithm using convolutional neural network (CNN). By merging information from OCT angiograms and OCT reflectance images, the CNN could exclude signal reduction and motion artifacts and detect the avascular features from local to global with the resolution preserved. Across a wide range of signal strength indices, and on both healthy and DR eyes, the algorithm achieved high accuracy and repeatability.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography of retinal vessels in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

To image retinal blood vessels in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Retrospective case series examining fundus photographs and OCT scans of 16 eyes in eight patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. Analyses included intravascular OCT reflectivity profiles and vessel diameters, and their relation to total immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels. In six out of eight patients, cross-sectional OCT scans of larger retinal vessels (diameter>100μm) showed normal intravascular reflectivity and retrovascular shadowing. In two patients with the highest total IgM>60g/l, altered intravascular reflectivity, distinct anterior and posterior vessel wall reflexes, and retrovascular hyposhadowing were seen. Normalization of the OCT reflectivity in these patients occurred after reduction of total IgM to<17g/l and was accompanied by decreasing venous tortuosity and disappearance of retinal haemorrhages and cotton wool spots. This study found that Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and total IgM>60g/l were associated with abnormal intravascular reflectivity and retrovascular shadowing on OCT. Awareness of these signs of hyperviscosity could potentially enable earlier detection of critical conditions in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and improve the assessment of severity and treatment effect.

Swept-Source OCT and Near-Infrared Reflectance Patterns in Choroidal Nevi

To describe the 3 distinct patterns of choroidal nevi in swept-source (SS) OCT and apply that classification to a cohort of consecutive choroidal nevi. Also, we aim to describe the findings of these lesions in near-infrared reflectance (NIR) at different wavelengths (820 and 1050 nm). Single-center, retrospective, observational study. One hundred four consecutive patients with choroidal nevi. Retrospective analysis of choroidal nevi imaged with SS OCT and NIR. Lesions were classified according to OCT patterns as type A (high reflectivity with optical shadowing), type B (medium reflectivity with partial visualization of the scleral boundary), and type C (hyporeflective with complete visualization of the scleral boundary). Of 104 choroidal nevi, 97 lesions (93.3%) could be classified into 1 of the SS OCT patterns. Forty-nine percent corresponded to type A, 26% corresponded to type C, and 18.3% corresponded to type B. In NIR (n= 820), 76% of lesions were hyperreflective, whereas in NIR (n= 1050), most of the lesions were hyporeflective (59.6%; inverse reflectance). Choroidal nevi present distinct patterns according to SS OCT features. Clinical implications are yet to be determined. In NIR, inverse reflectance may be a consequence of the confocality of the device, rather than a property of the lesions.

Enhanced Quantification of Retinal Perfusion by Improved Discrimination of Blood Flow From Bulk Motion Signal in OCTA.

PurposeQuantification of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is confounded by the prevalence of bulk motion. We have previously developed a regression-based bulk motion subtraction (rb-BMS) algorithm that estimates bulk motion velocity and corrects for its effect on flow signal. Here, we aim to investigate its ability to improve the reliability of capillary density (CD) quantification.MethodsTwo spectral-domain systems (70-kHz Avanti/AngioVue and 68-kHz Cirrus/AngioPlex) acquired 6 × 6-mm OCTA scans. The rb-BMS algorithm was applied on each OCTA volume. Regression analysis of angiographic versus reflectance signal of avascular A-lines in B-frames was used to set an optimized reflectance-adjusted threshold for discriminating vascular versus nonvascular voxels. The CD was calculated from en face maximum projections of the superficial vascular complex in macular scans and the nerve fiber layer plexus in disc scans, excluding large vessels. The retinal signal strength (RSS) was calculated by averaging the logarithmic-scale OCT reflectance signal, and its correlation with CD was investigated.ResultsEight healthy eyes were scanned with each instrument on 2 separate days. The rb-BMS algorithm improved within-visit repeatability and between-visit reproducibility of CD compared with a global-threshold measurement algorithm. Using the rb-BMS algorithm, the CD results were less affected by RSS and the population variation was reduced. Motion-induced line artifacts were also reduced.ConclusionsThe rb-BMS algorithm improved the reliability of perfusion quantification in OCTA on both Food and Drug Administration–cleared spectral-domain OCTA systems.Translational RelevanceThe rb-BMS method helped reduce the inter-scan variability by generating accurate vessel maps, improving the reliability of retinal perfusion quantification.

Within-subject assessment of foveal avascular zone enlargement in different stages of diabetic retinopathy using en face OCT reflectance and OCT angiography.

Enlargement of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) due to progressive capillary nonperfusion is associated with visual deterioration in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The FAZ area has long been considered an important clinical marker of advancing retinopathy. However, a large body of literature shows that the FAZ area varies considerably in healthy eyes, resulting in substantial overlap between controls and diabetics, thus reducing its discriminatory value. In this study, within-subject FAZ area enlargement was obtained by the comparison of the structural FAZ area to the functional FAZ area using simultaneously-acquired, corresponding en face OCT reflectance and OCT angiography images. Our study suggests that en face OCT reflectance images provide useful anatomic baselines of structural FAZ morphology prior to the onset of disease. Measurements of within-subject FAZ area enlargement appear to be a more sensitive method for identifying the onset of diabetic retinopathy as compared to using OCT angiographic measurements of FAZ alone.

Increased Inner Retinal Layer Reflectivity in Eyes With Acute CRVO Correlates With Worse Visual Outcomes at 12 Months.

To determine if inner retinal layer reflectivity in eyes with acute central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) correlates with visual acuity at 12 months. Macular optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans were obtained from 22 eyes of 22 patients with acute CRVO. Optical intensity ratios (OIRs), defined as the mean OCT reflectivity of the inner retinal layers normalized to the mean reflectivity of the RPE, were measured from the presenting and 1-month OCT image by both manual measurements of grayscale B-scans and custom algorithmic measurement of raw OCT volume data. OIRs were assessed for association with final visual outcome. Cohort subgroup division for analysis was determined statistically. Eyes with poorer final visual acuity (≥20/70) at 1 year were more likely to have a higher ganglion cell layer OIR than eyes with better final visual acuity (<20/70) at 1 month (manually: 0.591 to 0.735, P = 0.006, algorithmically: 0.663 to 0.799, P = 0.014). At 1 month, eyes with a poorer final visual acuity demonstrated a higher variance of OIR measurements (algorithmically: 0.087 vs. 0.160, P = 0.002) per scan than eyes with better final visual acuity. In acute CRVO, ganglion cell layer changes at 1 month, including increased reflectivity and increased heterogeneity of reflectivity signal as expressed as OIR and OIR variance, were associated with a poorer visual prognosis at 1 year. Technique calibration with larger sample sizes and automated integration into OCT platforms will be necessary to determine if OIR can be a clinically useful prognostic tool.

Electroporation-assisted discrimination of normal, benign and cancerous human gastric tissues by OCT and diffuse reflectance spectra images

The purpose of this study is to illustrate experimentally the optical coherence tomography (OCT) signal slope and diffuse reflectance (DR) spectra of 30% and 80% glycerol combined with electroporation (EP) diffusion in normal, benign and cancerous human gastric tissues in vitro. The results of OCT showed that the permeability coefficients of 80% and 30% glycerol (both with and without EP) have the following trend: human cancerous gastric tissue > human benign gastric tissue > human normal gastric tissue under the same conditions. The permeability coefficient of the 30% glycerol group is larger than that of the 80% glycerol group under the same circumstances; the permeability coefficient of glycerol combined with the EP group is larger than that without the EP group under the same conditions. The permeability coefficient and the reduction of the DR spectra have perfect linear correlation (R2 = 0.9745). The research results suggest that OCT and the DR spectra combined with an optical clearing agent (glycerol) and the EP method can potentially become a powerful tool for the early diagnosis and monitoring of human gastric cancer.