Electrokinetic measurement of cartilage using differential phase optical coherence tomography

When an electric field is applied to cartilage, current-generated stress gradients are produced and stress deformation occurs. Since differential phase optical coherence tomography (DP-OCT) is sensitive to tiny surface displacement, these tiny displacements are induced electrokinetically in cartilage and the electric-current-induced stress gradients were measured with DP-OCT. The electrokinetic surface displacement of cartilage was characterized by applying sinusoidal voltages with two amplitudes (5 and 10 V) and different frequencies (1.0, 0.5 and 0.2 Hz). The results show that by application of DP-OCT the surface displacement increased with increasing applied voltage and decreased with increasing excitation frequency. In the electrokinetic response of cartilage, measured optical phase delay between the surface displacement response and excitation waveform varies inversely with the excitation frequency. Since the streaming potential and other electrokinetic effects in cartilage are directly proportional to proteoglycan density, application of an electric field in cartilage combined with DP-OCT measurements may provide a sensitive indicator of cartilage viability.