Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT): principles and practical use

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Dermatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) integrates optical coherence tomography and reflectance confocal microscopy.
• It enables non-invasive, in vivo, cell-resolved imaging of skin in multiple dimensions.

Approach:

• This article reviews the fundamental optical principles of LC-OCT, including low coherence interferometry and confocal filtering.
• It also details an optical setup for simultaneous color and LC-OCT imaging.
• The practical workflow of using a commercial handheld LC-OCT probe is presented.

Key Points:

• LC-OCT generates high-resolution, multi-dimensional images of skin structures.
• Simultaneous color imaging is achievable without compromising LC-OCT performance.
• Deep learning algorithms are crucial for analyzing the large datasets produced by LC-OCT.

Conclusions:

• LC-OCT is a powerful tool for in vivo skin imaging and analysis.
• Automated analysis using deep learning aids in segmentation and detection of cellular abnormalities.
• Further development in algorithms will enhance the clinical utility of LC-OCT in dermatology.