We present a novel extended-focus optical coherence microscope (OCM) attaining 0.7 μm axial and 0.4 μm lateral resolution maintained over a depth of 40 μm, while preserving the advantages of Fourier domain OCM. Our system uses an ultra-broad spectrum from a supercontinuum laser source. As the spectrum spans from near-infrared to visible wavelengths (240 nm in bandwidth), we call the system visOCM. The combination of such a broad spectrum with a high-NA objective creates an almost isotropic 3D submicron resolution. We analyze the imaging performance of visOCM on microbead samples and demonstrate its image quality on cell cultures and ex-vivo brain tissue of both healthy and alzheimeric mice. In addition to neuronal cell bodies, fibers and plaques, visOCM imaging of brain tissue reveals fine vascular structures and sub-cellular features through its high spatial resolution. Sub-cellular structures were also observed in live cells and were further revealed through a protocol traditionally used for OCT angiography.
Olaia Maria Naveiras Torres-Quiroga, Thomas Michael Braschler, Josefine Catharina Pedersen Tratwal, Daniel Naveed Tavakol, Martina Genta
Christian Heinis, Xudong Kong, Jonas Alfred Karl Wilbs, Jeremy Touati, Michal Sabisz, Alice Baumann
Hubert Girault, Andreas Stephan Lesch, Tzu-En Lin