Quantitative Differential Phase Contrast OCT

描述(由申请人提供)： 当代应用研究的一个主要方向是寻找改进的活体成像方法，以取代目前使用的活检，活组织检查是一种痛苦和侵入性的组织学检查程序。不幸的是，目前可用的非侵入性成像技术中没有一种具有通过组织学检查所能获得的分辨率。利用相位敏感的低相干干涉技术，本研究的目标是开发一种基于光纤的差分相位衬度光学相干层析成像系统(DPC-OCT)，该系统能够对生物组织进行高分辨率的定量相位衬度成像，其可与组织学相媲美。建议的高分辨率DPC-OCT系统将能够通过测量细胞组件之间的相位对比度，以亚细胞分辨率成像单个细胞，而无需使用外源染料或造影剂。DPC-OCT结合了相差显微镜的相衬成像能力和OCT的高灵敏度和高深度分辨率，获得了定量的相衬显微图像。OCT系统增加了相位对比度测量能力，可以对空间折射率变化非常小的样品进行成像。由于组织成分主要是通过折射率的空间变化来光学区分的，DPC-OCT具有显著提高传统OCT图像分辨率的潜力。虽然我们已经获得了亚细胞分辨率的单层细胞的DPC-OCT图像，但对复杂和多层结构(如组织)的定量相位对比成像是具有挑战性的。该提案的具体目标是， 。构建并开发了用于生物组织快速定量相位衬度成像的高分辨率光纤DPC-OCT系统。 。开发一种稳健的图像重建程序，从记录的干涉条纹强度信号中获得深度分辨的三维定量相衬图像；以及 。用1)组织模体和2)体外人体组织样本测试和验证所构建的纤维DPC-OCT系统的操作。 项目目标的成功完成将导致开发一种具有前所未有的分辨率的非侵入性成像方式，这将是各种临床诊断和监测应用中非常有价值的工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A major thrust of contemporary applied research is the search for improved in vivo imaging methodologies that can replace the present use of biopsy, a painful and invasive procedure for histological examination of tissue. Unfortunately none of the currently available non-invasive imaging technologies have the resolution that can be obtained with histological examination of tissue. Using phase-sensitive low coherence interferometry the objective of the proposed research is the development of a fiber-based differential phase contrast optical coherence tomography (DPC-OCT) system capable of a high-resolution quantitative phase contrast imaging of biological tissue that are comparable to histology. The proposed high resolution DPC-OCT system will be capable of imaging individual cells with sub-cellular resolution without use of exogenous stains or contrast agents by measurement of the phase contrast between cellular components. DPC-OCT combines the phase contrast imaging capability of a phase contrast microscope and high sensitivity and high depth resolution of OCT to obtain quantitative phase contrast microscopic images. Addition of phase contrast measuring capability to an OCT system makes possible imaging of specimen with very small spatial refractive index variations. Since tissue constituents are primarily distinguished optically by spatial variation in refractive index, DPC-OCT has the potential to dramatically improve the resolution of conventional OCT images. Although we have obtained DPC-OCT images of single layered cells with sub-cellular resolution, quantitative phase contrast imaging of a complex and multilayered structure such as tissue is challenging. Specific aims of the proposal are, . Construct and develop a high-resolution fiber DPC-OCT system for rapid quantitative phase contrast imaging of biological tissue. . Develop a robust image reconstruction procedure to obtain depth resolved 3-D quantitative phase contrast images from recorded interference fringe intensity signals; and . Test and verify the operation of the constructed fiber DPC-OCT system with 1) tissue phantoms, and 2) ex vivo human tissue samples. Successful completion of project aims will result in the development of a non-invasive imaging modality with unprecedented resolution that will be a very valuable tool in a variety of clinical diagnostic and monitoring applications.