Spatial mapping of tracheal ciliary beat frequency using real time phase-resolved Doppler spectrally encoded...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Respiratory Physiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Ciliary motion is crucial for clearing foreign particles from the upper airway.
• Disruptions in ciliary beating frequency (CBF) are linked to disease and environmental factors.
• Existing imaging methods like microscopy and OCT have limitations for in-vivo assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel high-speed, high-resolution imaging system for measuring spatial CBF.
• To utilize spectrally encoded interferometric microscopy (SEIM) with a phase-resolved Doppler (PRD) algorithm.
• To enable visualization of temporal and spatial ciliary motion patterns and metachronal waves.

Main Methods:

• Development of a spectrally encoded interferometric microscopy (SEIM) system.
• Application of a phase-resolved Doppler (PRD) algorithm for CBF measurement.
• Imaging of rabbit tracheal ciliary motion under varying temperatures and drug conditions.

Main Results:

• The SEIM-PRD system successfully measured and mapped spatial CBF in an en face region.
• Observed rabbit tracheal CBF ranged from 9 to 13 Hz under different temperatures.
• The effects of lidocaine and albuterol on CBF were quantified.

Conclusions:

• The developed SEIM-PRD system offers high-speed, high-resolution imaging of ciliary motion.
• This technology represents a significant step towards in-vivo studies of ciliary function.
• The findings support the translation of spatial CBF imaging to clinical settings.