Optical Coherence Tomography with Fluorescein Optical Clearing for Transscleral Image Guidance

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Ophthalmic Imaging
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides high-resolution 3D imaging but is limited by light scattering in tissues.
• Ophthalmic applications, like transscleral imaging, are particularly challenged by limited OCT penetration depth.
• Imaging deep ocular structures is crucial for diagnosing and treating various eye conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate fluorescein dye as an optical clearing agent for OCT imaging in scleral tissues.
• To assess the effectiveness of fluorescein in increasing OCT penetration depth in the sclera.
• To explore the potential of fluorescein-enhanced OCT for ophthalmic surgical guidance.

Main Methods:

• Ex-vivo studies using porcine and human scleral tissues.
• Characterization of fluorescein's optical clearing effect based on concentration and time.
• Evaluation of fluorescein's reversibility and application in trabeculectomy image guidance.

Main Results:

• Fluorescein significantly increased the imaging depth of OCT in scleral tissues.
• The optical clearing effect demonstrated time and concentration dependence.
• Fluorescein's reversibility was confirmed, and its potential for intrasurgical guidance was explored.

Conclusions:

• Fluorescein acts as an effective optical clearing agent, enhancing OCT imaging depth in scattering tissues.
• This application offers a novel method to overcome OCT penetration limitations in ophthalmology.
• Fluorescein's accessibility and clinical history suggest significant potential for improving biomedical imaging.