Paper
12 September 2002 Tissue clearing of biotissues for optical coherence tomography
Author Affiliations +
Abstract
The high scattering nature of non-transparent human tissue limits the imaging depth of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to 1-2 millimeters. By using the longer wavelength of the light source, the penetration depth is improved; the imaging contrast is however decreased largely due to the reduced backscattering in microscopic scale and the reduced refractive heterogeneity in macroscopic scale. For more effective diagnosis using OCT, a concurrent improvement of penetration depth and imaging contrast are often needed. We report in this paper that the OCT imaging depth and contrast can be enhanced concurrently by the use of osmotic agents. We demonstrate experimentally, by examples, that the topical applications of glycerol and propylene glycol, two common biocompatible and osmotically active solutions, onto the tissue surfaces could significantly improve the OCT imaging contrast and depth capability. The biotissues demonstrated include the rat skin, human oesophageal and gastric tissues.
© (2002) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Ruikang K. Wang "Tissue clearing of biotissues for optical coherence tomography", Proc. SPIE 4916, Optics in Health Care and Biomedical Optics: Diagnostics and Treatment, (12 September 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.482967
Advertisement
Advertisement
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission  Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace
KEYWORDS
Optical coherence tomography

Tissues

Scattering

Light scattering

Skin

Refractive index

Tissue optics

Back to Top