title: Supercontinuum light source enables in vivo optical microangiography of capillary vessels within tissue beds.
abstract: This Letter reports on the use of a supercontinuum light source to achieve ultrahigh resolution and ultrahigh sensitive optical microangiography (OMAG) imaging of microcirculations within tissue beds in vivo. After passing through a specially designed optical filter with a passband of 120 nm centered on 800 nm, the light source is coupled into an optic-fiber-based OMAG system that provides a measured axial resolution of ∼3 μm over a ranging distance of 2 mm. Within this ranging distance, the system gives an averaged signal-to-noise ratio of 87 dB and a sensitivity roll-off of 7 dB at an A-scan rate of 70 kHz. We demonstrate the capability of the system to visualize a detailed microvascular perfusion map, including the single red blood cells within the capillaries, by imaging a mouse ear flap in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Zhongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhi
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Ruikang K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D054644:Ear Auricle / Q000098:blood supply / Q000166:cytology; D008027:Light; D051379:Mice; D008833:Microcirculation; D055620:Optical Phenomena