Ultrahigh Resolution Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography of the Human Cornea with Conical Scanning Pattern and Variable Dispersion Compensation

Abstract

Noninvasive corneal imaging is essential for the diagnosis and treatment control of various diseases affecting the anterior segment of the eye. This study presents an ultrahigh resolution polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography instrument operating in the 840 nm wavelength band that incorporates a conical scanning design for large field of view imaging of the cornea. As the conical scanning introduces a dispersion mismatch depending on the scanning angle, this study implemented variable, location dependent, numerical dispersion compensation in order to achieve high axial resolution throughout the imaged volume. The corneal images were recorded in vivo in healthy volunteers showing various details of corneal structures.

Keywords

• cornea
• optical coherence tomography
• polarization sensitive imaging
• dispersion compensation
• ultra-high resolution