Retinal pigment epithelium segmentation by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography.
We present a new method for identifying and segmenting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) images of the human retina. Contrary to previous, intensity based segmentation algorithms, our method uses an intrinsic tissue property of the RPE: its depolarizing, or polarization scrambling effect on backscattered light. Two different segmentation algorithms are presented and discussed: a simpler algorithm based on retardation data, and a more sophisticated algorithm based on local variations of the polarization state calculated from averaged Stokes vector elements. By using a state of the art spectral domain PS-OCT instrument, we demonstrate the method in healthy and diseased eyes.
Götzinger
Erich
E
Center for Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
Pircher
Michael
M
Geitzenauer
Wolfgang
W
Ahlers
Christian
C
Baumann
Bernhard
B
Michels
Stephan
S
Schmidt-Erfurth
Ursula
U
Hitzenberger
Christoph K
CK
D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*