Low Optical Coherence Interferometry for the Cochlea

描述(申请人提供)：这项提案的主要目标是开发一种仪器来测量活体豚鼠体内Corti器官的振动。该仪器将使用光学相干层析成像(OCT)和低光相干干涉测量的原理，分别显示基底膜和器官的内部结构，并测量它们在声音刺激耳朵时产生的振动位移。OCT干涉仪将利用两个耦合到普通光纤中的不同超发光二极管的光，允许同时测量Corti器官的基底膜和网状板组件的振动位移。该提案的前两个目标是：1)研制一台双源(双通道)OCT干涉仪，用于器官内单一位置的测量；2)研制一台扫描式OCT干涉仪，用于测量Corti器官的三维运动。OCT干涉测量的优点是不需要在耳朵组织上放置任何反射物(例如镜子或珠子)，并且将具有高的光学空间分辨率(特别是沿光轴的‘z’方向)，从而能够准确地测量Corti组织振动器官的幅度和相位。第三个目的是使用OCT仪器测量豚鼠基底膜和网状板的三维振动模式。这些数据将为了解Corti器官的微观机械运动以及耳蜗放大过程的机制提供关键的新见解，在耳蜗放大过程中，外毛细胞被认为是积极促进Corti运动的器官。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The major goal in this proposal is to develop an instrument to measure the vibration of the organ of Corti in the living guinea pig. The instrument will use the principles of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and low optical coherence interferometry to visualize the basilar membrane and the internal structures of the organ and to measure their vibratory displacements induced by sound stimulation of the ear, respectively. The OCT interferometer will utilize light from two different super luminescent diodes coupled into a common optical fiber, allowing simultaneous measurement of the vibratory displacement of the basilar membrane and the reticular lamina components of the organ of Corti. The first two aims of the proposal are 1) to develop a dual source (two channels) OCT interferometer for measurements at a single location in the organ and 2) to develop a scanning OCT interferometer to measure organ of Corti motion in three dimensions. OCT interferometry will have the advantage of not requiring any reflective objects (such as mirrors or beads) to be placed on the ear tissues and will have high optical spatial resolution (particularly in the 'z' direction along the optical axis) allowing accurate magnitude and phase measurements of organ of Corti tissue vibration. The third aim is to use the OCT instrument to measure the three-dimensional vibration pattern of the basilar membrane and reticular lamina in the guinea pig. The data will give critical new insight into the micro mechanical motion of the organ of Corti and on the mechanism of the cochlear amplification process whereby outer hair cells are thought to be actively enhancing organ of Corti motion.