Extraction of quantitative optical properties from polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

In this research, we have developed an algorithm to extract four different optical parameters, including the scattering coefficient (μ_s), effective anisotropy factor (g_eff), birefringence coefficient (Δn), and fast-axis angle (β) from polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) images. The proposed extraction algorithm was evaluated from a set of phantoms and it yielded valid results. The scattering coefficient and anisotropy factor can be used to describe the scattering effect and anisotropy characteristics of the sample. The birefringence property represents the difference between the tissue refractive indexes along the birefringent fast and slow axes, while the fast-axis angle can describe the fiber alignment of tissue. Finally, a preliminary ex vivo PS-OCT investigation on human aortic specimen indicated that the algorithm may contribute to differentiation between normal vessel and atherosclerotic plaques.