Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging in Developmental Biology

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an attractive imaging technique for developmental biology because it permits the imaging of tissue microstructure in situ , yielding micron-scale image resolution without the need for excision of a specimen and tissue processing. OCT enables repeated imaging studies to be performed on the same specimen in order to track developmental changes. OCT is analogous to ultrasound B mode imaging except that it uses low-coherence light rather than sound and performs cross-sectional imaging by measuring the backscattered intensity of light from structures in tissue (1 ). The principles of OCT imaging are shown schematically in Fig. 1 . The OCT image is a gray-scale or false-color two-dimensional (2-D) representation of backscattered light intensity in a cross-sectional plane. The OCT image represents the differential backscattering contrast between different tissue types on a micron scale. Because OCT performs imaging using light, it has a one- to two-order-of-magnitude higher spatial resolution than ultrasound and does not require specimen contact.