Imaging the <i>ex-vivo</i> human cochlea using 1.3-<i>μ</i>m and 1.7-<i>μ</i>m optical coherence tomography.

ABSTRACT:

Significance

There is no clinical imaging method to visualize the soft tissues of the human cochlea, which are crucial for sound transduction and are damaged in sensorineural hearing loss. Although optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been effective in small animal models, we show for the first time that it can image through the full thickness of the ex-vivo human otic capsule and resolve cochlear microstructures despite increased scattering.

Aim

We aim to investigate whether OCT could image the cochlea through the otic capsule. We compared 1.7 and 1.3  μm OCT to test if the reduced scattering at 1.7  μm provided any appreciable advantage for imaging the cochleae.

Approach

OCT interferometers were built for both 1.3 and 1.7  μm wavelengths, using identical sa

SUBMITTER: Tang JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12005953 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature