Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography of melanin provides intrinsic contrast based on depolarization
Open accessAbstract
Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) is a functional extension of OCT. In addition to imaging based on tissue reflectivity, PS-OCT also enables depth-resolved mapping of sample polarization properties such as phase-retardation, birefringent axis orientation, Stokes vectors, and degree of polarization uniformity (DOPU). In this study, PS-OCT was used to investigate the polarization properties of melanin. In-vitro measurements in samples with varying melanin concentrations revealed polarization scrambling, i.e. depolarization of backscattered light. Polarization scrambling in the PS-OCT images was more pronounced for higher melanin concentrations and correlated with the concentration of the melanin granules in the phantoms. Moreover, in-vivo PS-OCT was performed in the retinas of normal subjects and individuals with albinism. Unlike in the normal eye, polarization scrambling in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) was less pronounced or even not observable in PS-OCT images of albinos. These results indicate that the depolarizing appearance of pigmented structures like, for instance, the RPE is likely to be caused by the melanin granules contained in these cells.
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Using polarization-sensitive OCT, melanin has been shown to depolarize light.
“Using polarization-sensitive OCT melanin has been shown to depolarize light.149”
From Effect of skin color on optical properties and the implications for medical optical technologies: a review (2024) · cites this paper as [149]
Some medical optical imaging techniques use polarized light including polarization-sensitive OCT, polarized light elastic scattering spectroscopy, and cross-polarized light imaging.
“some medical optical imaging techniques use polarized light including polarization-sensitive OCT, polarized light elastic scattering spectroscopy, and cross-polarized light imaging.149–151”
From Effect of skin color on optical properties and the implications for medical optical technologies: a review (2024) · cites this paper as [149]
Melanin has been shown to depolarise light.
“For example, melanin has been shown to depolarise light [93].”
From Relevance and utility of the in-vivo and ex-vivo optical properties of the skin reported in the literature: a review [Invited] (2023) · cites this paper as [93]
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- Authors
- Baumann, B., Baumann, S. O., Konegger, T., Pircher, M., Götzinger, E., Schlanitz, F., Schütze, C., Sattmann, H., Litschauer, M., Schmidt-Erfurth, U., & Hitzenberger, C. K.
- Affiliations
- Medical University of Vienna (AT)
- TU Wien (AT)
- Vienna General Hospital (AT)
- Corresponding author
- Baumann, Bernhard
- ORCID
- Venue
- Biomedical Optics Express
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Published
- 2012-06-21
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1670
- ISSN
- 2156-7085 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3395490
- OpenAlex
- W2053074954
- Cited by
- 163
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 4
- FWCI
- 5.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Biomedical Optics Express (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- European Commission (201880)
- Austrian Science Fund (P19624)
- Universität Wien
- Medizinische Universität Wien
- FP7 Health
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Optical Coherence Tomography Applications
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Optical Polarization and Ellipsometry
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing
- Keywords
- polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography, melanin, depolarization, polarization scrambling, melanin granules, retinal pigment epithelium, albinism, birefringence, retinal imaging
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