Computational analysis of six optical coherence tomography systems for vocal fold imaging: A comparison study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Advancements in laryngeal imaging have led to the development of various optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems.
• These systems vary in design and probes, suitable for different clinical settings like research, office, and operating rooms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate and compare the performance of six distinct OCT systems for imaging porcine vocal folds.
• To assess signal penetration, layer differentiation, and epithelium measurement using computational image processing.

Main Methods:

• Six OCT systems were used to scan porcine vocal folds.
• Quantitative assessment involved measuring signal penetration and epithelium (EP) thickness.
• Fitted exponential decay curves and intensity thresholding segmentation were employed for data analysis.

Main Results:

• The SS-OCT 1700 nm 90 kHz microscope system demonstrated the deepest signal penetration.
• Automated segmentation successfully detected the epithelium (EP) layer, with an average thickness of 55.79 ± 31.86 μm.
• Performance varied across systems, impacting visualization and measurement accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Comparing OCT systems is complex due to variations in probe design, optical path, and lasers.
• Quantitative image processing provides valuable data, such as EP measurements, for system evaluation.
• Future in vivo human laryngeal imaging is planned to further validate clinical usability.