PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | May 20, 2013
Proc. SPIE. 8879, Nano-Bio Sensing, Imaging, and Spectroscopy
KEYWORDS: Visualization, Optical coherence tomography, Diagnostics, Image resolution, Imaging spectroscopy, Ear, Thulium, In vivo imaging, Adhesives, Information visualization
We report the application of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to various types of human cases of otitis media (OM). Whereas conventional diagnostic modalities for OM, including standard and pneumatic otoscopy, are limited to
visualizing the surface information of the tympanic membrane (TM), OCT is able to effectively reveal the depth-resolved microstructural below the TM with a very high spatial resolution. With the potential advantage of using OCT
for diagnosing different types of OM, we examined in-vivo the use of 840 nm wavelength, and OCT spectral domain OCT (SDOCT) techniques, in several human cases including normal ears, and ears with adhesive and effusion types of OM. Peculiar positions were identified in two-dimensional OCT images of abnormal TMs compared to images of a
normal TM. Analysis of A-scan (axial depth-scans) data from these positions could successfully identify unique patterns for different constituents within effusions. These OCT images may not only be used for constructing a database for the
diagnosis and classification of OM, but they may also demonstrate the feasibility and advantages for upgrading the
current otoscopy techniques.
