Polarization-sensitive imaging with simultaneous bright- and dark-field optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Optical Imaging
• Biophysics

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a powerful imaging modality for cross-sectional visualization of biological tissues.
• Bright- and dark-field (BRAD) OCT provides contrast based on tissue scattering properties.
• Understanding tissue scattering is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring various pathologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a polarization-sensitive (PS) extension for BRAD OCT.
• To enhance the characterization of biological tissue scattering properties.
• To demonstrate the complementary contrast offered by PS-BRAD OCT.

Main Methods:

• A few-mode fiber detection scheme was employed to separate backscattered light at different angles.
• Polarization-sensitive detection was integrated with BRAD OCT.
• A calibration method was developed to correct for fiber birefringence.
• Imaging was performed on phantoms with microparticles and a brain tissue specimen.

Main Results:

• The PS-BRAD OCT system successfully generated images with complementary contrast.
• The system demonstrated the ability to investigate polarization-dependent scattering properties of microparticles and tissue.
• Calibration effectively corrected for fiber-induced polarization changes.

Conclusions:

• The developed PS-BRAD OCT system offers an advanced tool for analyzing tissue scattering.
• This technique provides new insights into the microstructural and optical properties of biological tissues.
• PS-BRAD OCT has potential applications in biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.