Optical coherence microscopy with a split-spectrum image reconstruction method for temporal-dynamics contrast-based...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Cellular Biology
• Optical Coherence Microscopy

Background:

• Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) offers high-resolution, real-time, label-free tomographic imaging.
• A key limitation of OCM is its lack of bioactivity-related functional contrast.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an OCM system capable of measuring intracellular motility.
• To introduce a functional contrast mechanism based on metabolic activity for OCM.
• To validate the system's ability to detect changes in cellular processes.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel OCM system utilizing pixel-wise intensity fluctuation analysis.
• Employed spectral splitting with Gaussian windows to reduce image noise.
• Quantified intracellular motility changes in response to pharmacological interventions.

Main Results:

• The enhanced OCM system successfully measured changes in intracellular motility.
• Demonstrated that F-actin fiber inhibition using Y-27632 significantly reduces intracellular motility.
• Validated the link between metabolic activity, intracellular movement, and cellular states.

Conclusions:

• The developed OCM technique provides crucial bioactivity-related functional contrast.
• Intracellular motility is a measurable indicator of cellular process states.
• This method holds potential for identifying novel therapeutic strategies targeting intracellular motility in cardiovascular diseases.