Multimodality optical coherence tomography for non-invasive imaging of the structure, function and metabolism of biological tissue

光学相干断层成像(OCT)是目前最先进的非侵入性眼科诊断方法，它以细胞水平的分辨率实时提供人眼的3D图像。OCT还可以测量神经组织的血流量和生理反应。比热耶娃博士的研究小组率先展示了最近从活体动物的视觉刺激视网膜中获得的可重现的功能性OCT(FOCT)记录。这项开创性的工作为未来的研究奠定了基础，在这些研究中，fOCT可以被开发为一种非侵入性方法，以替代视网膜电波(ERG)等侵入性方法，用于临床评估潜在失明视网膜疾病患者的视网膜功能。目前，fOCT还处于初级阶段，有许多技术问题尚未解决，涉及系统的空间和时间分辨率、信噪比、成像探头设计以及fOCT数据的提取、显示和正确解释的程序。在这里，我们提出了一个旨在进一步发展FOCT技术的研究计划。我们建议从以下几个方面解决这些技术问题：a)使用新的光源和探测器；b)实现快速的线或面扫描；c)利用FPGA/GPU技术来提高数据采集速度；d)开发新的图像处理算法，以有效地提取功能信息。我们将在视网膜疾病的动物模型中测试和验证FOCT。拟议的研究计划的结果将带来一种新的、临床上可行的技术，用于早期诊断潜在的致盲疾病，监测药物或手术治疗的有效性，以及对视网膜疾病的起源和发展阶段进行基础研究。FOCT可能对加拿大人的健康和福祉以及对虚弱或危及生命的疾病的治疗产生重大影响。拟议的计划将由本科生、研究生和博士后水平的研究人员实施。他们的工资、旅行、材料和与发布结果相关的费用都需要资金。加拿大将通过他们在培训过程中开发的新技术和医疗应用，直接受益于对这些研究人员的培训。

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is currently the most advanced, non-invasive, ophthalmic diagnostic method, that provides 3D images of the human eye in real time with cellular level resolution. OCT can also measure blood flow and physiological responses from neural tissue. Dr. Bizheva's research group was the first to demonstrate recently reproducible functional OCT (fOCT) recordings from visually stimulated retinas in living animals. This pioneering work sets the background for future studies, where fOCT can be developed as a non-invasive alternative to invasive methods such as electroretinography (ERG), for clinical evaluation of retinal function in patients with potentially blinding retinal diseases. Currently, fOCT is in its infancy and there are a number of unresolved technical issues, related to the system's spatial and temporal resolution, SNR, imaging probe designs, and the procedures for the extraction, display and correct interpretation of the fOCT data. Here we present a research program designed to develop further the fOCT technology. We propose to resolve the technical problems by: a) use of novel light sources and detectors; b) implementation of fast line- or en-face scanning; c) utilizing FPGA / GPU technology to improve the data collection rate; and d) developing novel image processing algorithms for efficient extraction of the functional information. We will test and validate the fOCT in animal models of retinal diseases. The outcome of the proposed research program will lead to a novel, clinically viable technology for early diagnostics of potentially blinding diseases, monitoring the effectiveness of drug or surgical therapies, and basic studies of the origins and stages of development of retinal diseases. FOCT could have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of Canadians and the treatment of debilitating or life threatening diseases. The proposed program will be carried out by undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral level researchers. Funding is requested for their salaries, travel, materials, and costs associated with publishing results. Canada will directly benefit from the training of these researchers through the new technologies and medical applications they develop in the course of their training.