Comparative study of optical coherence tomography angiography algorithms for rodent retinal imaging

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Imaging
• Microcirculation Research

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) enables non-invasive 3D imaging of microvasculature.
• Various algorithms exist to generate OCTA images from OCT signals.
• Evaluating algorithm performance is crucial for accurate retinal microvasculature analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of three OCTA algorithms for rodent retinal imaging.
• To assess image quality and quantitative metrics derived from different OCTA algorithms.
• To determine the robustness and efficacy of phase variance, improved speckle contrast, and optical microangiography algorithms.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of phase variance, improved speckle contrast, and optical microangiography algorithms.
• Evaluation of OCTA image quality for vasculature resolution in rodent retinas.
• Analysis of quantitative ophthalmic metrics: blood vessel density, diameter index, perimeter index, and complexity index.

Main Results:

• Improved speckle contrast and optical microangiography algorithms demonstrated greater robustness than phase variance.
• Both improved speckle contrast and optical microangiography revealed comparable vasculature features.
• Statistical differences were observed in the calculated quantitative metrics between the algorithms.

Conclusions:

• Improved speckle contrast and optical microangiography are superior OCTA algorithms for rodent retinal imaging.
• These algorithms provide reliable visualization of retinal microvasculature.
• Algorithm choice impacts quantitative analysis, necessitating careful consideration in ophthalmic studies.