title: Quantification of cardiac fiber orientation using optical coherence tomography.
abstract: Heterogeneity in cardiac tissue microstructure is a potential mechanism for the generation and maintenance of arrhythmias. Abnormal changes in fiber orientation increase the likelihood of arrhythmia. We present optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a method to image myofibers in excised intact heart preparations. Three-dimensional (3-D) image sets were gathered from the rabbit right ventricular free wall (RVFW) using a microscope-integrated OCT system. An automated algorithm for fiber orientation quantification in the plane parallel to the wall surface was developed. The algorithm was validated by comparison with manual measurements. Quantifying fiber orientation in the plane parallel to the wall surface from OCT images can be used to help understand the conduction system of the specific sample being imaged.
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Biomedical Engineering Department, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. cfleming@case.edu
authors.forename: Christine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Crystal M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Ripplinger
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Igor R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Efimov
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rollins
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D016764:Cell Polarity; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology*; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*