Small Animal Fourier Domain OCT Microscope

描述(由申请人提供)： 这项第一阶段小型企业创新研究(SB1R)应用计划将光学相干层析成像(OCT)成像技术的巨大进步融入到用于小动物成像的基于显微镜的原型中。这种OCT显微镜在快速表型、显微解剖的三维表征和微生理学的量化方面具有无价的潜力。研究斑马鱼、非洲爪哇、小鸡胚胎、果蝇和其他大小相当的动物的科学家将会对这个仪器产生极大的兴趣。这些创新建立在傅立叶域OCT(FD-OCT)的最新工作基础上，这是OCT数据收集的一种替代方法，它利用并行阵列检测技术来取代传统使用的单一传感器。然而，建议的方法通过引入特定的设计创新来优化系统灵敏度(定义为理想反射样本的信噪比，并且可以在采集率和稳健性(定义为系统可制造性和耐用性)之间进行权衡)，从而扩展到傅立叶域OCT的当前技术状态，而当前的设计在这两个领域都表现出严重的限制。由此产生的FD-OCT系统将被耦合到标准的立体变焦显微镜中，以实现同时进行常规和断层成像的能力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SB1R) application proposes to incorporate dramatic advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging technology into a microscope-based prototype for use in small animal imaging. This OCT microscope has the potential to become invaluable in rapid phenotyping, in the three-dimensional characterization of microanatomy, and in the quantification of microphysiology. This instrument will be of great interest to scientists who study zebrafish, Xenopus, chick embryo, fruit fly, and other animals of comparable size. These innovations build upon recent work on Fourier-Domain OCT (FD-OCT), an alternative approach to OCT data collection which takes advantage of parallel array detection technology in place of a single sensor as conventionally used. However, the proposed approach extends well beyond the current state of the art in Fourier-Domain OCT by introducing specific design innovations which optimize system sensitivity (defined as the signal-to-noise ratio for an ideal reflective sample, and which can be traded off for acquisition rate) and robustness (defined as system manufacturability and durability), in contrast to current designs which exhibit severe limitations in both areas. The resulting FD-OCT system will be coupled into a standard stereo zoom microscope for simultaneous conventional and tomographic imaging capability.