Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy for Histology-Like Analysis of Stromal Features in Corneal Grafts
Published on: October 21, 2022
Direct scanning of pathology specimens using spectral domain optical coherence tomography: a pilot study
Jeffrey L Fine1, Larry Kagemann, Gadi Wollstein
1Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. FINEJL@upmc.edu
Background And Objective:
Digital pathology has thus far focused on producing digital images of glass microscope slides. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) can be used to directly scan tissue blocks to produce three-dimensional histology images, potentially bypassing glass slide workflow.
Materials And Methods:
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were scanned using SD-OCT and resulting images were compared with corresponding areas on microscope slides.
Results:
Low-magnification features were recognizable, including tissue outlines, fat, vessels, and outlines of colonic mucosal crypts. Subtle textures that were suggestive of benign breast lobules and ovarian tumor features were also visible. Initial SD-OCT images lacked resolution and contrast relative to traditional microscopy, but the image content suggests that additional features of interest are present and may be revealed with improved SD-OCT resolution and more post-processing experience. Elucidation of three-dimensional histology and pathology are also future tasks.
Conclusion:
Eventual availability of diagnostic-quality three-dimensional histology would have a profound impact on anatomic pathology.
