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Optical coherence tomography for ultrahigh resolution in vivo imaging

Nature Biotechnology volume 21, pages 1361–1367 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging biomedical optical imaging technique that performs high-resolution, cross-sectional tomographic imaging of microstructure in biological systems. OCT can achieve image resolutions of 1–15 μm, one to two orders of magnitude finer than standard ultrasound. The image penetration depth of OCT is determined by the optical scattering and is up to 2–3 mm in tissue. OCT functions as a type of 'optical biopsy' to provide cross-sectional images of tissue structure on the micron scale. It is a promising imaging technology because it can provide images of tissue in situ and in real time, without the need for excision and processing of specimens.

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Figure 1: Principles of OCT imaging.
Figure 2: Ophthalmic OCT imaging and its development.
Figure 3: Intravascular OCT imaging and its development.
Figure 4: Imaging neoplastic changes.
Figure 5: Developments in OCT technology.

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Acknowledgements

The contributions of A. Aguirre, S. Boppart, B. Bouma, S. Bourquin, M. Brezinski, W. Drexler, J. Duker, C. Chudoba, I. Hartl, P. Herz, P. Hsiung, T. Ko, X. Li, H. Mashimo, C. Pitris, J. Schuman, G. Tearney, J. Van Dam and J. Wei are gratefully acknowledged. We thank E. Grube of the Heart Center Siegborg, LightLab Imaging, and J. Izatt of Duke University for granting permission to present the images shown in this paper. This research is supported in part by the US National Institutes of Health, contracts NIH-9-R01-CA75289-05 and NIH-9-R01-EY11289-16; the Medical Free Electron Laser Program, contract F49620-01-1-0186; the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, contract F49620-98-01-0084; the US Army Medical Research Material Command, contract DAMD 17-01-1-156; the National Science Foundation, contracts ECS-0119452 and BES-0119494; the Poduska Family Foundation Fund; and the philanthropy of G. Andlinger.

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  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139, Massachusetts, USA

    James G Fujimoto

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Correspondence to James G Fujimoto.

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J.G.F.'s research group receives equipment research support from Carl Zeiss Meditec and LightLab Imaging. His institution, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has licensed intellectual property on optical coherence tomography, for which he receives royalties.

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Fujimoto, J. Optical coherence tomography for ultrahigh resolution in vivo imaging. Nat Biotechnol 21, 1361–1367 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt892

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