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A procedure for computer analyzing an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image of normal and precancerous oral mucosae is demonstrated to reasonably plot the boundary between epithelium (EP) and lamina propria (LP) layers, determine the EP thickness, and estimate the range of dysplastic cell distribution based on standard deviation (SD) mapping. In this study, 54 normal oral mucosa, 39 oral mild dysplasia, and 44 oral moderate dysplasia OCT images are processed for evaluating the diagnosis statistics. Based on SD mapping in an OCT image, it is found that the laterally average range percentages of 70% SD maximum level in the EP layer is a reasonably good threshold for differentiating moderate dysplasia from mild dysplasia oral lesion based on the OCT image analysis. The sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis statistics can reach 82 and 90%, respectively.

The significantly less stringent operation of a two-reference swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for suppressing the mirror image is demonstrated based on the spatially localized image processing method. With this method, the phase difference between the two reference signals is not limited to 90 degrees. Based on the current experimental operation, the mirror image can be effectively suppressed as long as the phase difference is larger than 20 degrees. In other words, the adjustment of the beam splitter orientation for controlling the phase difference becomes much more flexible. Also, based on a phantom experiment, the combination the spatially localized mirror image suppression method with the two-reference OCT operation leads to the implementation of full-range optical Doppler tomography.

An improved image processing procedure for suppressing the phase noise due to a motion artifact acquired during optical coherence tomography scanning and effectively illustrating the blood vessel distribution in a living tissue is demonstrated. This new processing procedure and the widely used procedure for micro-angiography application are based on the selection of high-frequency components in the spatial-frequency spectrum of B-mode scanning (x-space), which are contributed from the image portions of moving objects. However, by switching the processing order between the x-space and k-space, the new processing procedure shows the superior function of effectively suppressing the phase noise due to a motion artifact. After the blood vessel positions are precisely acquired based on the new processing procedure, the projected blood flow speed can be more accurately calibrated based on a previously reported method. The demonstrated new procedure is useful for clinical micro-angiography application, in which a stepping motor of generating motion artifacts is usually used in the scanning probe.

The conventional optical coherence tomography (OCT) images based on enhanced scattering and the photothermal (PT) images based on enhanced absorption of the localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance of Au nanorings (NRIs) in a bio-tissue sample are demonstrated with the scans of an OCT system (1310-nm system), in which the spectral range covers the LSP resonance peak wavelength, and another OCT system (1060-nm system), in which the spectral range is away from the LSP resonance peak wavelength. A PT image is formed by evaluating the modulation frequency (400 Hz) response of an excitation laser with its wavelength (1308 nm) close to the LSP resonance peak at 1305 nm of the Au NRI solution. With the scan of the 1310-nm OCT system, the Au NRI distribution in the bio-tissue sample can be observed in both conventional OCT and PT images. However, with the scan of the 1060-nm OCT system, the Au NRI distribution can be clearly observed only in the PT image. The diffusion process of Au NRIs in the bio-tissue sample can be traced with the scan of either OCT system. Based on phantom experiments, it is shown that the PT image can help in resolving the ambiguity of a conventional OCT image between the enhanced scattering of Au NRIs and the strong scattering of a tissue structure in the 1310-nm OCT scanning. Also, under the condition of weak intrinsic sample scattering, particularly in the scan of the 1060-nm system, the PT signal can be lower than a saturating level, which is determined by the excitation power. By increasing OCT system signal-to-noise ratio or M-mode scan time, the PT signal level can be enhanced.

The theory and experimental results of a computation time-saving mirror image suppression method in Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, which utilizes the property of reversed system phase shift between the real and mirror images, for differentiating one from the other are demonstrated. By solving a set of two equations based on a reasonable approximation, the real image signal can be obtained. The theoretical backgrounds and the improved real image quality of the average and iteration procedures in this method are particularly illustrated. Also, the mirror image suppression ratios under various process conditions, including different process iteration numbers and different system phase shifts between two neighboring A-mode scans, are evaluated. Meanwhile, the mirror image suppression results based on our method are compared with those obtained from the widely used BM-scan technique. It is found that when a process procedure of two iterations is used, the mirror image suppression quality based on our method can be higher than that obtained from the BM-scan technique. The computation time of our method is significantly shorter than that of the BM-scan technique.

The characterization results of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Au nanorings (NRs) with optical coherence tomography (OCT) are first demonstrated. Then, the diffusion behaviors of Au NRs in mouse liver samples tracked with OCT are shown. For such research, aqueous solutions of Au NRs with two different localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) wavelengths are prepared and characterized. Their LSPR-induced extinction cross sections at 1310 nm are estimated with OCT scanning of solution droplets on coverslip to show reasonably consistent results with the data at individual LSPR wavelengths and at 1310 nm obtained from transmission measurements of Au NR solutions and numerical simulations. The resonant and non-resonant Au NRs are delivered into mouse liver samples for tracking Au NR diffusion in the samples through continuous OCT scanning for one hour. With resonant Au NRs, the average A-mode scan profiles of OCT scanning at different delay times clearly demonstrate the extension of strong backscattering depth with time. The calculation of speckle variance among successive OCT scanning images, which is related to the local transport speed of Au NRs, leads to the illustrations of downward propagation and spreading of major Au NR motion spot with time.