Imaging growth dynamics of tumour spheroids using optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to monitor the dynamics of tumour spheroid formation by the hanging drop method. In contrast to microscopy, the estimates obtained using OCT for the volume of the spheroid, were consistent with the measured changes in cell number as a function of time. The OCT images also revealed heterogeneous structures in the spheroids of approximately 200 microm diameter. These corresponded to the necrotic regions identified by fluorescence of propidium iodide stained cells.

Development and Application of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

“…The retardation induced by birefringent tissue is related to the angle of rotation of Stokes vectors on the Poincaré sphere. By computing this angle between the Stokes vectors at the sample surface and those within the tissue, cumulative phase retardation can be computed at any sample position [66,67]. Furthermore, the direction of the optic Here the tilde denotes the unitary transformation.…”

“…Several authors have attempted to answer this question empirically. In 2016, Choi et al [67] investigated the relationship between OMAG (complex difference OCTA) signals and capillary flow. They proposed an analytic model that expressed OMAG signals as a function of time interval between successive B-scan frames, particle speed, and concentration (the last two determine flux).…”

“…Improvements in OCTA theory to include multiple scattering [85] and orientation effects [37] are needed. Empirical models have been developed for flow phantoms [67], but they may be limited to in vitro conditions, and their applicability in vivo remains uncertain. Better in vivo validation experiments, perhaps in well-controlled and stable animal preparations, are needed.…”

“…Scanning OCT has also been used successfully to perform histology-like measurements [58, [63][64][65], and to detect tumor regions [66,67] through changes in the collagen content [68], the tissue microangiogram and backscattering [69], or in the tissue fractal dimension [70]. However, we believe that the high resolution of FF-OCT can significantly improve the diagnostic abilities of OCT [8,17].…”

Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography as a Diagnosis Tool: Recent Progress with Multimodal Imaging

“…Scanning OCT has also been used successfully to perform histology-like measurements [58,[63][64][65], and to detect tumor regions [66,67] through changes in the collagen content [68], the tissue microangiogram and backscattering [69], or in the tissue fractal dimension [70]. However, we believe that the high resolution of FF-OCT can significantly improve the diagnostic abilities of OCT [8,17].…”