title: Sonification of optical coherence tomography data and images.
abstract: Sonification is the process of representing data as non-speech audio signals. In this manuscript, we describe the auditory presentation of OCT data and images. OCT acquisition rates frequently exceed our ability to visually analyze image-based data, and multi-sensory input may therefore facilitate rapid interpretation. This conversion will be especially valuable in time-sensitive surgical or diagnostic procedures. In these scenarios, auditory feedback can complement visual data without requiring the surgeon to constantly monitor the screen, or provide additional feedback in non-imaging procedures such as guided needle biopsies which use only axial-scan data. In this paper we present techniques to translate OCT data and images into sound based on the spatial and spatial frequency properties of the OCT data. Results obtained from parameter-mapped sonification of human adipose and tumor tissues are presented, indicating that audio feedback of OCT data may be useful for the interpretation of OCT images.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Adeel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Adie
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Boppart
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D013018:Sound Spectrography / Q000379:methods*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface