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Thinned-skull Cortical Window Technique for In Vivo Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging
Published on: November 19, 2012
Effect of tissue preservation on imaging using ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography
Pei-Lin Hsiung1, Prashant R Nambiar, James G Fujimoto
1Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Journal of Biomedical Optics
|January 18, 2006
Summary
Ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) preserves tissue characteristics best in Dulbecco
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Optical Engineering
- Histopathology
Background:
- Ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers noninvasive tissue imaging at 1-3 micrometer resolutions.
- Ex vivo OCT studies are common, but the impact of postexcision tissue degradation on image quality remains understudied.
- Understanding tissue preservation effects is crucial for accurate ex vivo OCT analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of formalin fixation and common cell culture media on ex vivo tissue optical scattering characteristics in OCT images.
- To compare postexcision tissue optical properties over time with in vivo conditions.
- To determine optimal preservation methods for maintaining tissue integrity for OCT imaging.
Main Methods:
- Hamster cheek pouch tissue imaged in vivo using 800-nm wavelength OCT with 1.5-micrometer axial resolution.
- Ex vivo imaging performed after excision during preservation in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Media (DMEM), and 10% neutral-buffered formalin.
- Sequential imaging at time points from 15 minutes to 10-18 hours postexcision.
Main Results:
- Formalin fixation caused significant scattering increases in muscle layers and ~50% shrinkage in epithelium, muscle, and connective tissue.
- Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) preservation led to optical contrast loss within 2 hours, primarily in deep tissues.
- Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Media (DMEM) maintained tissue structure and optical properties close to in vivo levels for up to 4-6 hours postexcision.
Conclusions:
- Formalin fixation and PBS significantly alter OCT imaging properties and tissue morphology.
- Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Media (DMEM) provides superior preservation of tissue optical characteristics for ex vivo OCT compared to PBS and formalin.
- DMEM is the recommended medium for maintaining tissue integrity for extended ex vivo OCT analysis.
