Development of Functional Optical Coherence Tomography for Structural and Microangiography Assessment of Heart and Skin.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This thesis explores the potential of developing functional Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in structural and microangiographic applications for heart and skin tissues. OCT, as a noninvasive imaging technique, has revolutionized fields such as ophthalmology, cardiology, and dermatology by offering high-resolution visualization of biological structures and microvasculature. However, its capacity to capture physiological characterization, both qualitative and quantitatively, remains limited. This research seeks to bridge the gap by advancing functional OCT techniques to provide novel insights into tissue and vascular behavior in complex vascularized areas like coronary microcirculation and skin. In Chapter 1, the thesis introduces OCT principles and their clinical significance for noninvasive imaging. Chapter 2 delves into advanced OCT techniques for assessing microvascular networks and tissue composition. Methods such as Optical Microangiography (OMAG) and OCT velocimetry are presented to demonstrate OCT’s ability to visualize capillary morphology and blood flow without contrast agents and to characterize hemodynamic properties and microvascular health quantitatively. Additionally, OCT structural imaging technique, such as calibrated optical attenuation coefficient (OAC), is presented to differentiate tissue compositions in distinct skin layers based on scattering properties. In Chapter 3, OCT Angiography (OCTA) is applied to assess microvascular damage in infarcted hearts, uncovering structural and functional changes post-myocardial infarction (MI), such as capillary loss, vessel enlargement, and altered blood flow— insights for understanding coronary network remodeling. Chapter 4 investigates OCTA’s ability to detect depth-resolved distinct blood flow signals and pulse patterns across different skin layers, which offers potential applications in non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring. Chapter 5 explores OCT’s dermatological applications in monitoring skin aging, UV-induced changes, and light-tissue interactive behaviors. It demonstrates OCT’s ability to detect subclinical changes—such as vessel dilation, epidermal thickening, and structural organization differences—before clinically visible signs appear, supporting early intervention.