Fibre orientation contrast for depth-resolved identification of structural interfaces in birefringent tissue

Phys Med Biol. 2006 Aug 7;51(15):3759-67. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/51/15/011. Epub 2006 Jul 20.

Abstract

Incorporation of polarimetric sensitivity into optical coherence tomography can provide additional image contrast when structures of interest are optically anisotropic (e.g., fibrous tissue). We present a generalized technique based on polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to detect changes in depth-resolved fibre orientation and thus increase image contrast in multiple-layered birefringent tissues. A high contrast B-scan image of collagen fibre orientation is shown for a porcine intervertebral disc cartilage specimen that exhibited low backscattering intensity contrast. Interfaces in the annulus fibrosus identified using depth-resolved fibre orientation allowed quantification of lamellae thickness. Moreover, the technique detects changes in fibre orientation without intense processing needed to effectively quantify tissue retardation and diattenuation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Birefringence*
  • Cartilage / pathology
  • Humans
  • Intervertebral Disc / pathology
  • Light
  • Microscopy, Polarization
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Software
  • Swine
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / instrumentation*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / methods*