Quantitative Differential Phase Contrast OCT

描述（由申请人提供）： 当代应用研究的一个主要推动力是寻找改进的体内成像方法，可以取代目前使用的活检，一个痛苦的和侵入性的程序组织的组织学检查。不幸的是，目前可用的非侵入性成像技术中没有一种具有可以通过组织的组织学检查获得的分辨率。使用相位敏感的低相干干涉的目的，拟议的研究是开发一种基于光纤的差分相位衬度光学相干断层扫描（DPC-OCT）系统能够高分辨率的定量相衬成像的生物组织，是组织学。所提出的高分辨率DPC-OCT系统将能够通过测量细胞成分之间的相位对比度来对具有亚细胞分辨率的单个细胞进行成像，而无需使用外源性染色剂或造影剂。DPC-OCT结合了相衬显微镜的相衬成像能力和OCT的高灵敏度和高深度分辨率，以获得定量相衬显微图像。OCT系统的相衬测量能力的增加使得具有非常小的空间折射率变化的样品的成像成为可能。由于组织成分主要通过折射率的空间变化来光学区分，因此DPC-OCT具有显著提高传统OCT图像分辨率的潜力。尽管我们已经获得了具有亚细胞分辨率的单层细胞的DPC-OCT图像，但是复杂和多层结构（例如组织）的定量相衬成像是具有挑战性的。该提案的具体目标是， .建立并研制了一套高分辨率的光纤相位差OCT系统，用于生物组织的快速定量相位差成像。 .开发一个强大的图像重建程序，从记录的干涉条纹强度信号中获得深度分辨的3D定量相衬图像; .使用1）组织体模和2）离体人体组织样本测试和验证构建的光纤DPC-OCT系统的操作。 项目目标的成功完成将导致开发具有前所未有的分辨率的非侵入性成像模式，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.