Doppler optical coherence tomography for investigation of spontaneous retinal venous pulsation (Conference Presentation)

Spontaneous retinal venous pulsations (SRVP) describe rhythmic caliber oscillations of one or multiple major retinal veins at the site of the optic nerve head (ONH). This phenomenon is reported to possibly enable non-invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) assessment besides its potential significance for major ocular diseases such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy. In this work, we illustrate the advantages of optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging for investigation of SRVP. Using conventional intensity based OCT as well as the functional extension Doppler OCT (DOCT), the pulsatile changes in venous vessel caliber are analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Single-channel and double-channel line scanning protocols of our time-encoded multi-channel OCT prototype are employed to investigate venous caliber oscillations as well as venous flow pulsatility in the eyes of healthy volunteers. A comparison to recordings of scanning laser ophthalmoscopy – a standard en-face imaging modality for evaluation of SRVP – is provided, emphasizing the advantages of tomographic image acquisition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative time-resolved investigation of SRVP and associated retinal perfusion characteristics using OCT.