Quantitative contrast-enhanced optical coherence tomography
Abstract
We have developed a model to accurately quantify the signals produced by exogenous scattering agents used for contrast-enhanced Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). This model predicts distinct concentration-dependent signal trends that arise from the underlying physics of OCT detection. Accordingly, we show that real scattering particles can be described as simplified ideal scatterers with modified scattering intensity and concentration. The relation between OCT signal and particle concentration is approximately linear at concentrations lower than 0.8 particle per imaging voxel. However, at higher concentrations, interference effects cause signal to increase with a square root dependence on the number of particles within a voxel. Finally, high particle concentrations cause enough light attenuation to saturate the detected signal. Predictions were validated by comparison with measured OCT signals from gold nanorods (GNRs) prepared in water at concentrations ranging over five orders of magnitude (50 fM to 5 nM). In addition, we validated that our model accurately predicts the signal responses of GNRs in highly heterogeneous scattering environments including whole blood and living animals. By enabling particle quantification, this work provides a valuable tool for current and future contrast-enhanced in vivo OCT studies. More generally, the model described herein may inform the interpretation of detected signals in modalities that rely on coherence-based detection or are susceptible to interference effects.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Jan 11, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4939547
Entities
People
- Adam De La Zerda
- Elliott D SoRelle
- Orly Liba
- Yonatan Winetraub
Organizations
- Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
- Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation
- Mary Kay Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- National Science Foundation
- Stanford University
- Susan G. Komen for the Cure
- United States Air Force