Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) is an effective tool for volumetric imaging of collagen fiber networks, but current processing algorithms struggle to create three-dimensional models of these networks due to limited contrast and tissue complexity. We present an automated image processing algorithm that overcomes these challenges to enable quantitative visualization of three-dimensional fiber networks from OCT volumes. Samples are processed by segmenting the tissue volume surface and dividing the sample into “processing patches” which are optimally sized and oriented to fit an arbitrary volume. Fiber orientation analysis and particle filtering are used to create orientation-encoded fiber tractography. The method is demonstrated on five ex-vivo human uterine samples which were imaged as mosaic volumes using a commercial SD-OCT system, providing the first view of the three-dimensional structure of the human uterine collagen fiber network on a centimeter scale.

Date Published: 9 March 2020
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Proc. SPIE 11245, Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXVII, 112450D (9 March 2020);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 11245:
Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXVII
Thomas G. Brown; Tony Wilson; Laura Waller, Editor(s)