Cellular structural and functional imaging of donor and pathological corneas with label-free dual-mode full-field optical coherence tomography.
Keyi FeiZhongzhou LuoYupei ChenYuancong HuangSaiqun LiViacheslav MazlinAlbert Claude BoccaraJin YuanPeng XiaoPublished in: Biomedical optics express (2024)
In this study, a dual-mode full-field optical coherence tomography (FFOCT) was customized for label-free static and dynamic imaging of corneal tissues, including donor grafts and pathological specimens. Static images effectively depict relatively stable structures such as stroma, scar, and nerve fibers, while dynamic images highlight cells with active intracellular metabolism, specifically for corneal epithelial cells. The dual-mode images complementarily demonstrate the 3D microstructural features of the cornea and limbus. Dual-modal imaging reveals morphological and functional changes in corneal epithelial cells without labeling, indicating cellular apoptosis, swelling, deformation, dynamic signal alterations, and distinctive features of inflammatory cells in keratoconus and corneal leukoplakia. These findings propose dual-mode FFOCT as a promising technique for cellular-level cornea and limbus imaging.
Keyphrases
- optical coherence tomography
- label free
- high resolution
- cell cycle arrest
- induced apoptosis
- diabetic retinopathy
- wound healing
- deep learning
- cell death
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- convolutional neural network
- gene expression
- optic nerve
- signaling pathway
- mass spectrometry
- fluorescence imaging
- white matter
- pi k akt
- reactive oxygen species