Abstract

Novel CMOS detector technology allows for high-speed volumetric tissue imaging with Fourier domain optical coherence tomography. Acquisition speeds of 200kHz reveal comprehensive image details due to the virtual lack of motion artifacts. We applied this system to the retina and achieved high resolution imaging with 5 pm x 3 pm transverse and axial resolution. Such resolution allows observing microscopic details such as photoreceptor cone mosaic, nerve fiber bundles, and the capillary bed without applying adaptive optics instrumentation. Fast image series reveal perfusion dynamics of full retinal volumes and allow for tracking of individual photoreceptors to study their dynamics. We observed that for in-vivo imaging speed is crucial for reproducible maps of microscopic tissue details.

© 2009 OSA/SPIE