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Local Birefringence Imaging by Similar Mueller Matrix Averaging Method in Catheter-Based Polarization-Sensitive
Qingrui Li1,2,3,4, Rongyang Zhu1,2,3,4, Kun Liu1,2,3,4
1School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Chemical & Biomedical Imaging
|June 26, 2026
Summary
A new method called Local Birefringence Similar Mueller Matrix Averaging (LMMA) improves catheter-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) imaging. LMMA enhances plaque differentiation for better diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Medical Imaging
- Optical Coherence Tomography
Background:
- Local birefringence imaging offers intuitive polarization properties of tissue, crucial for analyzing vascular plaque.
- Catheter-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is vital for in-vivo tissue characterization.
- Existing methods face challenges with depolarization coupling and noise interference, limiting accuracy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel algorithm, Local Birefringence Similar Mueller Matrix Averaging (LMMA), for enhanced catheter-based PS-OCT imaging.
- To improve the accuracy and reliability of birefringence measurements in complex biological tissues.
- To advance the diagnostic capabilities for cardiovascular diseases by improving plaque characterization.
Main Methods:
- LMMA combines differential Mueller analysis, matrix decomposition, and noise compensation techniques.
- The algorithm addresses and mitigates issues of depolarization coupling and noise interference.
- Performance was validated using Monte Carlo simulations and experimental imaging of phantoms and ex-vivo tissues.
Main Results:
- LMMA achieved a 4.8% error under high noise and 4.4% under high depolarization in simulations, an 84% improvement over the Stokes vector spectral binning (SSB) method.
- Experimental imaging of polycarbonate yielded a 1.5% average error, 86% lower than SSB.
- Ex-vivo porcine coronary artery imaging demonstrated significantly enhanced differentiation of lipid and fibrous plaques, with LMMA's plaque recognition rate 2.62 times higher than SSB.
Conclusions:
- LMMA significantly improves the accuracy and performance of catheter-based PS-OCT imaging.
- The method enhances the differentiation of vascular plaque components, crucial for disease diagnosis.
- LMMA shows strong potential for advanced vascular imaging applications, including the monitoring and diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
