Multiple scattering suppression for in vivo optical coherence tomography measurement using the B-scan-wise...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging Technology

Background:

• Multi-scattering (MS) photons introduce significant noise in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images.
• Reducing MS noise is crucial for improving image quality, especially for in vivo applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for reducing MS noise in OCT.
• To enable clearer in vivo OCT imaging compatible with dynamic biological samples.

Main Methods:

• A specialized OCT acquisition scheme using an electrically tunable lens to sequentially alter focal depth across multiple frames.
• Complex signal processing involving numerical defocus correction and averaging of acquired frames.
• Validation using scattering phantoms and in vivo imaging of unanesthetized small fish.

Main Results:

• The proposed method effectively reduces MS noise in OCT images.
• The technique demonstrated successful noise reduction in both phantom and in vivo experiments.
• The method requires a short sample stabilization time (approx. 70 ms), suitable for in vivo imaging.

Conclusions:

• This novel OCT method significantly reduces multi-scattering noise.
• The technique is compatible with in vivo imaging due to its speed and minimal sample stabilization requirement.
• The findings pave the way for enhanced clarity in dynamic biological OCT imaging.