title: Volumetric retinal imaging with ultrahigh-resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and adaptive optics using two broadband light sources.
abstract: Ultrabroadband sources, such as multiplexed superluminescent diodes (SLDs) and femtosecond lasers, have been successfully employed in adaptive optics optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) systems for ultrahigh resolution retinal imaging. The large cost differential of these sources, however, motivates the need for a performance comparison. Here, we compare the performance of a Femtolasers Integral Ti:Sapphire laser and a Superlum BroadLighter T840, using the same AO-OCT system and the same subject. In addition, we investigate the capability of our instrument equipped with the Integral to capture volume images of the fovea and adjacent regions on a second subject using the AO to control focus in the retina and custom and freeware image registration software to reduce eye motion artifacts. Monochromatic ocular aberrations were corrected with a woofer-tweeter AO system. Coherence lengths of the Integral and BroadLighter were measured in vivo at 3.2 microm and 3.3 microm, respectively. The difference in dynamic range was 5 dB, close to the expected variability of the experiment. Individual cone photoreceptors, retinal capillaries and nerve fiber bundles were distinguished in all three dimensions with both sources. The acquired retinal volumes are provided for viewing in OSA ISP, allowing the reader to data mine at the microscope level.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University, School of Optometry, 800 E. Atwater Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA . bcense@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cense
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koperda
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Omer P
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Kocaoglu
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ravi S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Jonnal
authors.forename: Donald T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D017949:Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012984:Software; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult