Real-time eye motion correction in phase-resolved OCT angiography with tracking SLO

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Optical Coherence Tomography

Background:

• Phase-resolved OCT angiography detects blood flow via phase changes between A-scans.
• Ophthalmic applications of this technique are highly susceptible to eye motion artifacts.
• Existing methods struggle with motion-induced noise and discontinuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To mitigate eye motion artifacts in phase-resolved OCT angiography.
• To enhance the stability and quality of OCT angiograms in ophthalmology.
• To enable detection of slower blood flows and improve imaging of retinal vasculature.

Main Methods:

• Combined inter-B-scan phase-resolved OCT angiography with real-time eye tracking using a TSLO (840 nm).
• Utilized a phase-stabilized OFDI system (1040 nm) for imaging.
• Implemented eye tracking to correct drift and prevent saccadic motion artifacts.

Main Results:

• Real-time eye tracking improved OCT spot stability on the retina, reducing phase-noise.
• Extended inter-B-scan intervals became feasible, allowing detection of slower blood flows.
• Successfully generated high-quality, artifact-free OCT angiograms by compounding data.
• Presented detailed images of retinal and choroidal vasculature, including the choriocapillaris network.

Conclusions:

• Combining real-time eye tracking with phase-resolved OCT angiography effectively overcomes motion artifacts in ophthalmic imaging.
• This integrated approach significantly enhances image quality and expands the diagnostic capabilities for retinal and choroidal diseases.
• The study presents the first phase-resolved OCT angiogram of the choriocapillaris, revealing its intricate structure.