title: Optical coherence tomography for embryonic imaging: a review.
abstract: Embryogenesis is a highly complex and dynamic process, and its visualization is crucial for understanding basic physiological processes during development and for identifying and assessing possible defects, malformations, and diseases. While traditional imaging modalities, such as ultrasound biomicroscopy, micro-magnetic resonance imaging, and micro-computed tomography, have long been adapted for embryonic imaging, these techniques generally have limitations in their speed, spatial resolution, and contrast to capture processes such as cardiodynamics during embryogenesis. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging modality with micrometer-scale spatial resolution and imaging depth up to a few millimeters in tissue. OCT has bridged the gap between ultrahigh resolution imaging techniques with limited imaging depth like confocal microscopy and modalities, such as ultrasound sonography, which have deeper penetration but poorer spatial resolution. Moreover, the noninvasive nature of OCT has enabled live imaging of embryos without any external contrast agents. We review how OCT has been utilized to study developing embryos and also discuss advances in techniques used in conjunction with OCT to understand embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: University of Houston, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 3517 Cullen Boulevard, Room 2027, Houston, Texas 77204-5060, United States.
authors.forename: Raksha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raghunathan
authors.affiliation: University of Houston, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 3517 Cullen Boulevard, Room 2027, Houston, Texas 77204-5060, United States.
authors.forename: Manmohan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza- BCM335, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.affiliation: University of Houston, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 3517 Cullen Boulevard, Room 2027, Houston, Texas 77204-5060, United StatesbBaylor College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, One Baylor Plaza- BCM335, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Kirill V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Larin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography