Hassan Wehbe

Automatic retinal blood flow calculation using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Optical Doppler tomography (ODT) is a branch of optical coherence tomography (OCT) that can measure the speed of a blood flow by measuring the Doppler shift impinged on the probing sample light by the moving blood cells. However, the measured speed of blood flow is a function of the Doppler angle, which needs to be determined in order to calculate the absolute velocity of the blood flow inside a vessel. We developed a technique that can extract the Doppler angle from the 3D data measured with spectral-domain OCT, which needs to extract the lateral and depth coordinates of a vessel in each measured ODT and OCT image. The lateral coordinates and the diameter of a blood vessel were first extracted in each OCT structural image by using the technique of blood vessel shadowgram, a technique first developed by us for enhancing the retinal blood vessel contrast in the en face view of the 3D OCT. The depth coordinate of a vessel was then determined by using a circular averaging filter moving in the depth direction along the axis passing through the vessel center in the ODT image. The Doppler angle was then calculated from the extracted coordinates of the blood vessel. The technique was applied in blood flow measurements in retinal blood vessels, which has potential impact on the study and diagnosis of blinding diseases like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

Quantitative evaluation of retinal tumor volume in mouse model of retinoblastoma by using ultra high-resolution optical coherence tomography

An ultra high resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) together with an advanced animal restraint and positioning system was built for noninvasive non-contact in vivo three-dimensional imaging of rodent models of ocular diseases. The animal positioning system allowed the operator to rapidly locate and switch the areas of interest on the retina. This function together with the capability of precise spatial registration provided by the generated OCT fundus image allows the system to locate and compare the same lesion (retinal tumor in the current study) at different time point throughout the entire course of the disease progression. An algorithm for fully automatic segmentation of the tumor boundaries and calculation of tumor volume was developed. The system and algorithm were successfully applied to monitoring retinal tumor growth quantitatively over time in the LHBETATAG mouse model of retinoblastoma.

Calibration of Blood Flow Measurement with Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

We developed a technique that automatically measures retinal blood flow using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). In this paper we present methods we used to calibrate the measurements.

Automatic retinal blood vessel parameter calculation in spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Measurement of retinal blood vessel parameters like the blood blow in the vessels may have significant impact on the study and diagnosis of glaucoma, a leading blinding disease worldwide. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive imaging technique that can provide not only microscopic structural imaging of the retina but also functional information like the blood flow velocity in the retina. The aim of this study is to automatically extract the parameters of retinal blood vessels like the 3D orientation, the vessel diameters, as well as the corresponding absolute blood flow velocity in the vessel. The parameters were extracted from circular OCT scans around the optic disc. By removing the surface reflection through simple segmentation of the circular OCT scans a blood vessel shadowgram can be generated. The lateral coordinates and the diameter of each blood vessel are extracted from the shadowgram through a series of signal processing. Upon determination of the lateral position and the vessel diameter, the coordinate in the depth direction of each blood vessel is calculated in combination with the Doppler information for the vessel. The extraction of the vessel coordinates and diameter makes it possible to calculate the orientation of the vessel in reference to the direction of the incident sample light, which in turn can be used to calculate the absolute blood flow velocity and the flow rate.

Imaging of eye tumor in the mouse model of retinoblastoma with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Noninvasive in vivo examination of the rodent retina without sacrificing the animal is the key to being able to perform longitudinal studies. This allows the monitoring of disease progression and the response to therapies through its entire course in individual animal. A high-speed high resolution three-dimensional spectral-domain OCT is built for non-contact in vivo imaging of rodent retina. The system is able to acquire high quality 3D images of the rodent retina in 2.7 seconds (total imaging time is ~5 minutes). The system was tested on mice with normal retina (B6/SJLF2), mouse model for photoreceptor degeneration (Rho-/-), and mouse model for retinoblastoma (LHBETATAG). For the first time to our knowledge, 3D image of the tumor in retinoblastoma mouse model was successfully imaged in vivo. By segmenting the tumor boundaries in each frame of the OCT image the volume of the tumor was successfully calculated.

Direct visualization of tear film on soft contact lens using ultra-high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography

The integrity of the tear film on the surface of contact lenses is essential to maintaining visual clarity and the overall health of the superficial structures of the eye (cornea and conjunctiva) for contact lens wearers. It is very critical to evaluate pre- and post-lens tear films in contact lens practice to make sure the lens is properly fitted. Improper lens fitting may cause ocular discomfort, visual distortion and ocular infection. It is very often for soft contact lens wearers to experience dry eye, especially in the afternoon after wearing the lens for a period of time. Dry eye has been a common cause of contact lens drop-off. There is currently no method available to directly visualize the tears on and underneath the contact lens in situ on human eye, mainly due to the extremely difficulty in imaging the micrometer-thin tear layer. An ultra-high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography has been developed with a telecentric light delivery system mounted with a slit-lamp. The system has a 3 micrometer depth resolution with a scan width up to 15 mm. The system was used to image soft contact lenses on the human eye. For the first time to our knowledge, tear films on the center and edge of the soft contact lens were directly visualized in vivo.

Ultra High-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography for Non-Contact Ocular Imaging of Small Animals

An ultra-high resolution spectral domain OCT system was built for non-contact imaging of retina and anterior segment of small animals. Short imaging time and high imaging quality make the system promising for high throughput applications.

In vivo imaging of raptor retina with ultra high resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography

Among birds, raptors are well known for their exceptional eyesight, which is partly due to the unique structure of their retina. Because the raptor retina is the most advanced of any animal species, in vivo examination of its structure would be remarkable. Furthermore, a noticeable percentage of traumatic ocular injuries are identified in birds of prey presented to rehabilitation facilities. Injuries affecting the posterior segment have been considered as a major impact on raptor vision. Hence, in vivo examination of the structure of the posterior segment of the raptors would be helpful for the diagnosis of traumatized birds. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of ultrahigh-resolution Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) for non contact in vivo imaging of the retina of birds of prey, which to the best of our knowledge has never been attempted. For the first time we present high quality OCT images of the retina of two species of bird of prey, one diurnal hawk and one nocturnal owl.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography for in-vivo three-dimensional retinal imaging of small animals

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of ultrahigh-resolution Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) for non contact in vivo imaging of the retina of small animals and quantitative retinal information extraction using 3D segmentation of the OCT images. An ultrahigh-resolution SD-OCT system was specifically designed for in vivo retinal imaging of small animal. En face fundus image was constructed from the measured OCT data, which enables precise registration of the OCT images on the fundus. 3D segmentation algorithms were developed for the calculation of retinal thickness map. High quality OCT images of the retina of mice (B6/SJLF2 for normal retina, Rho-/- for photoreceptor degeneration and LHBETATAG for retinoblastoma) and rats (Wistar for normal retina) were acquired, where all the retinal layers can be clearly recognized. The calculated retinal thickness map makes successful quantitative comparison of the retinal thickness distribution between normal and degenerative mouse retina. The capabilities of the OCT system provide a valuable tool for longitudinal studies of small animal models of ocular diseases.