title: Analysis of optimum conditions of depolarization imaging by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography in the human retina.
abstract: Measurement and imaging of depolarization by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) requires averaging of Stokes vector elements within two- or three-dimensional (3-D) evaluation windows to obtain the degree of polarization uniformity (DOPU). By use of a PS-OCT system with an integrated retinal tracker, we analyze optimum conditions for depolarization imaging, data processing, and segmentation of depolarizing tissue in the human retina. The trade-offs between figures of merit like DOPU imaging sensitivity, efficiency, and susceptibility are evaluated in terms of 3-D resolution. The results are used for a new, detailed interpretation of PS-OCT high-resolution images of the human retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch’s membrane.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer, Guertel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, AustriabCanon Inc., 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer, Guertel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pircher
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer, Guertel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zotter
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer, Guertel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: Canon Inc., 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Canon Inc., 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Makihira
authors.affiliation: Canon Inc., 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomatsu
authors.affiliation: Canon Inc., 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ohta-ku, Tokyo 146-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Waehringer, Guertel 18-20, Vienna A-1090, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hitzenberger
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012160:Retina / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*