Discrimination of conjunctiva and sclera using texture analysis of polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography images

摘要

Conjunctiva and sclera are not always discriminated in anterior eye optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, although they have distinctive tissue properties. In contrast, characteristic pattern can be observed at the sclera in a phase retardation OCT image measured by polarization sensitive OCT (PS-OCT). This is because sclera consists of collagen and it has birefringence. We developped a new algorithm which discriminates conjunctiva and sclera based on the local statistics of intensity and phase retardation OCT images. In 4 of 4 cases, conjunctiva and sclera were discriminated. This new algorithm is useful to discriminate tissues of PS-OCT images not by anatomical tissue structures but by direct tissue properties.