Improved Oct Imaging on Polar Materia

Successful assessment of lung imaging is important for studies of respiratory mechanics, and clinical lung disease diagnosis. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), which is a real-time imaging technique based on near infrared interferometry, can provide cross-sectional images of several layers of distal alveoli in intact, ex vivo lung. However optical effects, including refraction between air-tissue interfaces and changes in speed of light travelling through the tissue, cause incorrect interpretation of alveoli shape, as well as reduced image quality and penetration depth.;To address this, our group has developed a refractive error correction program, and a multi-angle OCT imaging model working with it. The rotation of the OCT camera produced images taken from five different angles, which were overlaid together to generate a final 'improved' image. Both of the refractive error correction and the multi-angle OCT imaging model were first tested on an inflated lung phantom, the Bragg-Nye bubble raft, and then demonstrated on intact, ex vivo lung. Improvements were observed in both systems, demonstrating the applicability of this technique, and the potential value of its more widespread scientific use. To approach more realistic comparisons to the size distribution in lung, and the septal shapes of alveoli, the multi-angle OCT imaging was tested on bubbles with different size and shape as well. What's more, a mechanical model was developed to demonstrate slight compression on lung surface could reduce refraction during OCT imaging. How morphological property of bubbles affects quality of OCT imaging was also studied and discussed. All of the work in this study support the spread of OCT imaging in lung scientific research and potential application in clinics in future.