title: In vivo lung microvasculature visualized in three dimensions using fiber-optic color Doppler optical coherence tomography.
abstract: For the first time, the use of fiber-optic color Doppler optical coherence tomography (CDOCT) to map in vivo the three-dimensional (3-D) vascular network of airway segments in human lungs is demonstrated. Visualizing the 3-D vascular network in the lungs may provide new opportunities for detecting and monitoring lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Our CDOCT instrument employs a rotary fiber-optic probe that provides simultaneous two-dimensional (2-D) real-time structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and CDOCT imaging at frame rates up to 12.5 frames per second. Controlled pullback of the probe allows 3-D vascular mapping in airway segments up to 50 mm in length in a single acquisition. We demonstrate the ability of CDOCT to map both small and large vessels. In one example, CDOCT imaging allows assignment of a feature in the structural OCT image as a large (∼1  mm diameter) blood vessel. In a second example, a smaller vessel (∼80  μm diameter) that is indistinguishable in the structural OCT image is fully visualized in 3-D using CDOCT.
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Department of Integrative Oncology-Imaging Unit, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 1L3, Canada.
authors.forename: Anthony M D
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: Calum
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Macaulay
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McWilliams
authors.forename: Tawimas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shaipanich
authors.forename: Victor X D
authors.initials: VX
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008875:Middle Aged; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*