title: Calibration of optical coherence tomography angiography with a microfluidic chip.
abstract: A microfluidic chip with microchannels ranging from 8 to 96  μm was used to mimic blood vessels down to the capillary level. Blood flow within the microfluidic channels was analyzed with split-spectrum amplitude-decorrelation angiography (SSADA)-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography. It was found that the SSADA decorrelation value was related to both blood flow speed and channel width. SSADA could differentiate nonflowing blood inside the microfluidic channels from static paper. The SSADA decorrelation value was approximately linear with blood flow velocity up to a threshold Vsat of 5.83±1.33  mm/s (mean±standard deviation over the range of channel widths). Beyond this threshold, it approached a saturation value Dsat. Dsat was higher for wider channels, and approached a maximum value Dsm as the channel width became much larger than the beam focal spot diameter. These results indicate that decorrelation values (flow signal) in capillary networks would be proportional to both flow velocity and vessel caliber but would be capped at a saturation value in larger blood vessels. These findings are useful for interpretation and quantification of clinical OCT angiography results.
authors.forename: Johnny P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chandwani
authors.forename: Simon S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Alex D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pechauer
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yali
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Gangjun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002138:Calibration; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D044085:Microfluidics; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*