Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Blood Vessels from In Vivo Color Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography Images

ABSTRACT

Current laser treatment for vascular disorders such as port wine stains can have incomplete or unacceptable results. A customized treatment strategy based on knowledge of the patient’s blood vessel structure may effect an improved clinical outcome.

Procedure: We tested the feasibility of using color Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT) and image processing techniques to locate, measure and reconstruct cutaneous blood vessels in rat and hamster skin. OCT is a recent, potentially noninvasive technique for imaging subsurface tissue structures with micrometer scale resolution.

Results: Blood vessels were identified in a series of cross-sectional images, then a three-dimensional reconstruction was made. Parameters that can affect optimum laser treatment parameters, such as average blood vessel depth and luminal diameter, were found from the images.

Conclusion: This study shows that color Doppler OCT is a potential tool for improving laser treatment of vascular disorders.