Quantitative analysis of low contrast detectability in optical coherence tomography

Nicholas Woolsey; Hsing-Wen Wang; Anant Agrawal; Jianting Wang; Chia-Pin Liang; Yu Chen; Joshua Pfefer

doi:10.1117/12.2053721

22 May 2014 Quantitative analysis of low contrast detectability in optical coherence tomography

Nicholas Woolsey, Hsing-Wen Wang, Anant Agrawal, Jianting Wang, Chia-Pin Liang, Yu Chen, Joshua Pfefer

Proceedings Volume 9107, Smart Biomedical and Physiological Sensor Technology XI; 91070C (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2053721
Event: SPIE Sensing Technology + Applications, 2014, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high resolution imaging technology that is rapidly being adopted as the standard of care for medical applications such as ocular and intravascular imaging. However, clinical translation has been hampered by the lack of standardized test methods for performance evaluation as well as consensus standards analogous to those that have been developed for established medical imaging modalities (e.g., ultrasound). In this study, we address low contrast detectability, specifically, the ability of systems to differentiate between regions exhibiting small differences in scattering coefficient. Based on standard test methods for established medical imaging modalities, we have developed layered phantoms with well-characterized scattering properties in a biologically relevant range. The phantoms consisted of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) doped with varying concentrations of BaSO₄ microparticles. Microfabrication processes were used to create layered and channel schemes. Two spectral domain OCT systems - a Fourier domain system at 855 nm and a swept-source device at 1310 nm - were then used to image the phantoms. The detectability of regions with different scattering levels was evaluated for each system by measuring pixel intensity differences. Confounding factors such as the inherent attenuation of the phantoms, signal intensity decay due to focusing and system roll-off were also encountered and addressed. Significant differences between systems were noted. The minimum differences in scattering coefficient that the Fourier domain and swept source systems could differentiate was 1.50 and 0.46 mm^-1 respectively. Overall, this approach to evaluating low contrast detectability represents a key step towards the development of standard test methods to facilitate clinical translation of novel OCT systems.

Citation Download Citation

Nicholas Woolsey, Hsing-Wen Wang, Anant Agrawal, Jianting Wang, Chia-Pin Liang, Yu Chen, and Joshua Pfefer "Quantitative analysis of low contrast detectability in optical coherence tomography", Proc. SPIE 9107, Smart Biomedical and Physiological Sensor Technology XI, 91070C (22 May 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2053721

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