In vivo imaging of the mouse retina using high-resolution optical coherence tomography.

Purpose: In this study, we demonstrate the advantages of high-resolution optical coherence tomography for the non-invasive, in vivo, three-dimensional imaging of the mouse retina.

Methods: High-resolution optical coherence tomography images of the mouse retina were acquired using the Bioptigen Envisu R2200-HR SD-OCT system. We measured the retinal thickness and compared the measurements to those obtained using conventional histology techniques.

Results: High-resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography enables high-quality in vivo visualization of retinal structures in mice, providing an accurate quantitative description of retinal layers. Additionally, the ultra-high-speed system offers many advantages over histology, e.g., it permits the visualization of retinal microvasculature and pulsatile flow dynamics.

Conclusions: Spectral domain optical coherence tomography is a new important tool for the in vivo analysis of mouse eyes.