High-speed visible light optical coherence tomography for high resolution structural and elastographic imaging in the cornea

Irregularities of ocular pulsatility are associated with some of the most severe eye diseases. Here, we present a high-speed visible light OCT for simultaneous high-resolution structural imaging and measuring local heartbeat-induced micro-displacements in corneas of rodents. The analysis of complex OCT signal dynamics across repeated frame acquisitions enables tissue motion measurements with high spatial and temporal resolution. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate in vivo imaging in corneas of wildtype mice and reveal subtle structural deformations related to ocular pulsation. Our data in mouse eyes hold promise for a passive, noncontact elastography technique that may enable a new paradigm of OCT based measurements and image contrast.