In Vivo Imaging of Retinal and Choroidal Morphology and Vascular Plexuses of Vertebrates Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose: To perform in vivo evaluation of the structural morphology and vascular plexuses of the neurosensory retina and choroid across vertebrate species using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and SS-OCT angiography (SS-OCTA) imaging.

Methods: A custom-built SS-OCT system with an incorporated flexible imaging arm was used to acquire the three-dimensional (3D) retinal OCT and vascular OCTA data of five different vertebrates: a mouse (C57BL/6J), a rat (Long Evans), a gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica), a white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), and a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

Results: In vivo structural morphology of the retina and choroid, as well as en face OCTA images of retinal and choroidal vasculature of all species were generated.