Henle fiber layer phase retardation measured with polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

We developed a method based on polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) to quantify the double pass phase retardation (DPPR) induced by Henle fiber layer in three subjects. Measurements of the retina were performed at a mean wavelength of 840 nm using two polarization states that were perpendicular in a Poincaré sphere representation and phase retardation contributions from tissue layers above and below the Henle fiber layer were excluded using appropriately placed reference and measurement points. These points were semi-automatically segmented from intensity data. Using a new algorithm to determine DPPR, the Henle fiber layer in three healthy subjects aged 50-60 years showed elevated DPPR in a concentric ring about the fovea, with an average maximum DPPR for the three subjects of 22.0° (range: 20.4° to 23.0°) occurring at an average retinal eccentricity of 1.8° (range: 1.5° to 2.25°). Outside the ring, a floor of approximately 6.8° was measured, which we show can mainly be attributed to phase noise that is induced in the polarization states. We also demonstrate the method can determine fast axis orientation of the retardation, which is found consistent with the known radial pattern of Henle fibers.