Vascular imaging of in vivo human skin using a fiber-based PS-OCT system

The detection and imaging of the microvascular map play a vital role in providing valuable pathological evidence for a variety of physiological disorders. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive technique that allows high-speed, high-resolution visualization of microvascular networks without the need for contrast agents and invasive manipulation. In this study, we developed a fiber-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) system that utilizes a 200 kHz swept source at 1310 nm. To reduce phase artifacts and provide excellent motion contrast for vascular imaging, we have incorporated the complex correlated phase gradient variance (CCPGV) method. Additionally, to address the challenges posed by birefringence dispersion, we implemented a dual-state numerical dispersion compensation method. By imaging human skin, we have successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of our system in visualizing the vascular map while minimizing noise interference. The high-quality imaging and accurate visualization of vascular networks provided by our system hold significant potential in enhancing the understanding and assessment of various pathological conditions. This can benefit both researchers and clinicians in their biomedical investigations and patient care.