OCT Technology Advances and Their Applications in Disease Studies

Dear Colleagues,

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and its associated technologies, such as OCT angiography, Doppler OCT, polarization-sensitive OCT, OCT elastography have been widely applied in ophthalmology, gastroenterology, cancer biology, neuroscience and many other fields. Current efforts in the field are advancing OCT technologies, leading to a higher resolution, faster scanning speed, larger scanning field-of-view, and novel contrast for imaging. With these technical innovations, relevant preclinical and clinical disease studies are being further developed.

This Special Issue aims to present original research studies on advances in OCT-relevant technologies, and their applications in disease studies. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Optical coherence tomography/microscopy;
• OCT aniography;
• Low coherence interferometery;
• Image processing;
• Polarization sensitive OCT;
• Spectroscopic OCT;
• Biophotonics;
• Retina imaging;
• Brain imaging;
• Disease model;
• Preclinical and clinical imaging.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jun Zhu
Dr. Conrad Merkle
Guest Editors

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Title: Optical Coherence Tomography and Clinicopathological Correlation for Understanding the Pathogenic, Clinical, and Prognostic Implications in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Serena Fragiotta; Mariachiara Di Pippo; Daniele Fumi; Chiara Ciancimino; Solmaz Abdolrahimzadeh
Affiliation: Ophthalmology Unit, Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sense Organs (NESMOS) Department, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University of Rome Sapienza
Abstract: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has emerged as a pivotal imaging modality in elucidating the pathogenic, clinical, and prognostic implications of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This review examines the utility of OCT in providing high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging of retinal structures comparable to an in vivo histopathology. Recent histopathological correlations with OCT have enabled precise characterization of AMD extracellular lesions, improving the interpretation of several OCT signatures. By correlating OCT findings with clinicopathological features, a deeper understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of AMD is achieved, facilitating early detection, risk stratification, and therapeutic decision-making. Furthermore, OCT-derived biomarkers offer valuable insights into disease severity, response to treatment, and prognostic outcomes, thereby enhancing patient care and optimizing visual outcomes.

Title: Perioperative Intrastromal Corneal Segmentation after creation of corneal cuts based on Laser Induced Optical Breakdown: A Perspective Study
Authors: MASOUD MEHRJOO1*, ALEXANDER PACURARU1, LUISE Krüger 1, FLORIAN BECK 2, KONRAD DOLL 2, SAMUEL ARBA MOSQUERA1
Affiliation: 1 SCHWIND eye-tech-solutions – Biomedical Engineering Office, Kleinostheim, Germany 2 Laboratory for the design of digital circuits and systems, University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg, Aschaffenburg, Germany *Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract: Assesing refractive correction techniques, such as Lenticule Extraction or LASIK, proves instrumental in diagnostics and monitor treatment efficacy. Moreover, these evaluations aid in elucidating potential post-operative complication stemming from imperfect residuals. Optical Coherent Tomography (OCT) has been established as a non-invasive, micro-resolution method to capture high-resolution images of biological tissues. However, strong speckle noise and low contrast between adjacent faults complicate accurate image segmentation and characteristic inference. To address this, we propose an image processing algorithm designed to automatically characterise volumes for lenticule extraction or surfaces for flap lift on corneal refractive surgery (i.e. prior to extraction or lift). This algorithm employs a fast speckle denoising, the Sobel gradient analysis, and Bayesian optimization to delineate and characterise cuts. It determines macroscopic parameters such as thickness, width, angles, and inherited axes of rotation. This study involved testing 50 ex-vivo porcine eyes subjected either to flap or lenticule cuts using the SCHWIND ATOS femtosecond laser system. In-situ image analysis was conducted and compared against both manual measurements based on markers at the OCT scans (as the gold standard) as well as planned geometries. Results reveal a strong agreement between automatically derived and planned geometries (deviation less than 3%) when compared to the manual assessments. Furthermore, reproducibility of automatic measurements was assessed through 30 iterations for each image, demonstrating the algorithm's consistent accuracy and unique solutions. This proposed approach can practically advance the analysis of optical characteristics in lasered eyes (prior to surgical manipulation) across various refractive surgery modalities, requiring minimal computational infrastructure.