Transparency of the ocular structures affect the contrast in the retinal image and has an impact on final visual quality. Although opacities are mostly formed in the crystalline lens of aging eye (cataract formation), visual function can be also altered by the opacities in the vitreous body. We demonstrate three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of vitreous opacities in vivo. We developed a prototype long-depth-range Swept-Source OCT instrument operating at the speed of 50 kA-scans/second and at the central wavelength of 1 μm to perform high-resolution imaging of the whole anterior segment of the eye or the retina. Different configurations of the interface with focus-tunable optics have been developed to optimize vitreous imaging. Volumetric data sets of eyes with vitreous opacities were acquired and processed to obtain contrast-enhanced high-resolution images. Vitreous surface segmentation enabled generation of 3-D rendering and en-face views of vitreous opacities in its anterior and posterior interfaces. The results demonstrate the ability of the OCT imaging to characterize the opacities. In conclusion, 3-D long-depth-range SS-OCT enables volumetric visualization of in vivo microstructural changes in the vitreous related to opacification. The instrument might be a useful tool in the high-resolution evaluation and surgical management of vitreous opacities.

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Ireneusz Grulkowski, Silvestre Manzanera, Lukasz Cwiklinski, Franciszek Sobczuk, and Pablo Artal, "SS-OCT with focus tunable optics for enhanced visualization of vitreous opacities (Conference Presentation)," Proc. SPIE 10474, Ophthalmic Technologies XXVIII, 1047412 (Presented at SPIE BiOS: January 28, 2018; Published: 14 March 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2289865.5751463170001.