Open AccessHigh-resolution, depth-resolved vascular leakage measurements using contrast-enhanced, correlation-gated optical coherence tomography in mice
Author(s) -
Conrad W. Merkle,
Marco Augustin,
Danielle J. Harper,
Johanna Gesperger,
Antonia Lichtenegger,
Pablo Eugui,
Gerhard Garhöfer,
Martin Glösmann,
Bernhard Baumann
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.415227
Subject(s) - optical coherence tomography , retinal , contrast (vision) , macular degeneration , biomedical engineering , diabetic retinopathy , optics , preclinical imaging , in vivo , materials science , computer science , medicine , ophthalmology , physics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology
Vascular leakage plays a key role in vision-threatening retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Fluorescence angiography is the current gold standard for identification of leaky vasculature in vivo, however it lacks depth resolution, providing only 2D images that complicate precise identification and localization of pathological vessels. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been widely adopted for clinical ophthalmology due to its high, micron-scale resolution and rapid volumetric scanning capabilities. Nevertheless, OCT cannot currently identify leaky blood vessels. To address this need, we have developed a new method called exogenous contrast-enhanced leakage OCT (ExCEL-OCT) which identifies the diffusion of tracer particles around leaky vasculature following injection of a contrast agent. We apply this method to a mouse model of retinal neovascularization and demonstrate high-resolution 3D vascular leakage measurements in vivo for the first time.