[Back]


Publications in Scientific Journals:

F. Beer, A. Wartak, R. Haindl, M. Gröschl, B. Baumann, M. Pircher, C. Hitzenberger:
"Conical scan pattern for enhanced visualization of the human cornea using polarization-sensitive OCT";
Biomedical Optics Express, 8 (2017), 6; 2906 - 2923.



English abstract:
Conventional imaging of the human cornea with optical coherence tomography (OCT)
relies on telecentric scanning optics with sampling beams that are parallel to the optical axis of the
eye. Because of the shape of the cornea, the beams have in some areas considerable inclination
to the corneal surface which is accompanied by low signal intensities in these areas and thus an
inhomogeneous appearance of corneal structures. In addition, alterations in the polarization state
of the probing light depend on the angle between the imaging beam and the birefringent axis
of the sample. Therefore, changes in the polarization state observed with polarization-sensitive
(PS-) OCT originate mainly from the shape of the cornea. In order to minimize the effects of the
corneal shape on intensity and polarization-sensitive based data, we developed a conical scanning
optics design. This design provides imaging beams that are essentially orthogonal to the corneal
surface. Thus, high signal intensity throughout the entire imaged volume is obtained and the
influence of the corneal shape on polarization-sensitive data is greatly reduced. We demonstrate
the benefit of the concept by comparing PS-OCT imaging results of the human cornea in healthy
volunteers using both scanning schemes.

Created from the Publication Database of the Vienna University of Technology.