Time-domain full-field optical coherence tomography (TD-FF-OCT) in ophthalmic imaging

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Ocular imaging is crucial for diagnosing eye diseases.
• Traditional optical coherence tomography (OCT) lacks cellular resolution and full field of view.
• Time-domain full-field OCT (TD-FF-OCT) was previously limited to ex vivo studies due to camera speed and capacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the advancements and potential of TD-FF-OCT for ocular imaging.
• To highlight TD-FF-OCT's unique optical properties for in vivo applications.
• To explore future directions and benefits of TD-FF-OCT in ophthalmic research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and system design improvements in TD-FF-OCT.
• Discussion of TD-FF-OCT's optical characteristics, including aberration insensitivity and optical slice curvature control.
• Exploration of dynamic TD-FF-OCT for functional imaging.

Main Results:

• TD-FF-OCT system improvements have enabled in vivo imaging possibilities.
• TD-FF-OCT offers spatial resolution largely unaffected by aberrations.
• The technique allows for control over the curvature of the optical slice.

Conclusions:

• TD-FF-OCT demonstrates significant potential as a next-generation ophthalmic imaging modality.
• Its non-invasive, wide-field, and cellular-resolution capabilities can enhance understanding of eye conditions.
• Future developments, including dynamic TD-FF-OCT, are expected to benefit clinical and basic research.