Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39502366›Full record

ArticleJournal of biomedical optics2024

Polarization-insensitive optical coherence tomography using pseudo-depolarized reference light for mitigating birefringence-related image artifacts.

Maria Varaka, Conrad W Merkle, Lucas May, Sybren Worm, Marco Augustin, Félix Fanjul-Vélez, Hsiang-Chieh Lee, Adelheid Wöhrer, Martin Glösmann, Bernhard Baumann

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of biomedical optics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Maria VarakaMedical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-1113-5907
Conrad W MerkleMedical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.
Lucas MayMedical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.
Sybren WormMedical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0009-0008-3243-4491
Marco AugustinMedical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.
Félix Fanjul-VélezUniversity of Cantabria, Biomedical Engineering Group, TEISA Department, Santander, Spain.
Hsiang-Chieh LeeNational Taiwan University, Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, Taipei, Taiwan.ORCID 0000-0002-2976-6195
Adelheid WöhrerMedical University of Vienna, Division of Neuropathology and Neurochemistry, Department of Neurology, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-8435-8189
Martin GlösmannUniversity of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, VetCore Facility for Research, Imaging Unit, BioImaging Austria/CMI, Vienna, Austria.
Bernhard BaumannMedical University of Vienna, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0001-6419-1932

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Significance: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images are prone to image artifacts due to the birefringence of the sample or the optical system when a polarized light source is used for imaging. These artifacts can lead to degraded image quality and diagnostic information. Aim: We aim to mitigate these birefringence-related artifacts in OCT images by adding a depolarizer module in the reference arm of the interferometer. Approach: We investigated different configurations of liquid crystal patterned retarders as pseudo-depolarizers in the reference arm of OCT setups. We identified the most effective depolarization module layout for polarization artifact suppression for a spectral-domain OCT system based on a Michelson and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Results: The performance of our approach was demonstrated in an achromatic quarter-wave plate allowing the selection of a variety of sample polarization states. A substantial improvement of the OCT signal magnitude was observed after placing the optimal depolarizer configuration, reducing the cross-polarization artifact from 5.7 to 1.8 dB and from 8.0 to 1.0 dB below the co-polarized signal for the fiber-based Michelson and Mach-Zehnder setup, respectively. An imaging experiment in the birefringent scleral tissue of a post-mortem alpine marmot eye and a mouse tail specimen further showcased a significant improvement in the detected signal intensity and an enhanced OCT image quality followed by a drastic elimination of the birefringence-related artifacts. Conclusions: Our study presents a simple yet cost-effective technique to mitigate birefringence-related artifacts in OCT imaging. This method can be readily implemented in existing OCT technology and improve the effectiveness of various OCT imaging applications in biomedicine.

Indexed as

ArtifactsTomography, Optical CoherenceAnimalsBirefringenceEquipment DesignImage Processing, Computer-AssistedInterferometryMicebirefringenceoptical coherence tomographypolarizationpolarization artifacts

Identifiers

PMID39502366
PMCPMC11532802

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.