Abstract
Purpose :
To present experimental methodological details for non-invasive imaging of the retina and optic nerve head of porcine eyes ex vivo using Spectralis SD-OCT
Methods :
Twenty four porcine eyes were obtained (in PBS) from a USDA inspected meat processing facility within 4 hours after harvesting. In the experimental eyes, the central cornea was trephined (8.5 mm), lens removed and vitreous replaced (Intrector, Insight Instruments, Inc) rapidly with saline. The corneal opening was sealed with a custom made 67 D keratoprosthesis that replaced the effective refractive power of the eye. The intraocular pressure was controlled by infusing saline through a canula and monitored using a calibrated manometer. Eyes were mounted on a gimbal with 6 degrees of freedom of movement. Spectralis SD-OCT (Heidelberg Engineering, GmbH) arrangement was modified to allow continuous imaging of the optic nerve head in ex vivo porcine eyes. Volume scans were obtained with a uniform A and B-scan resolution of 11 microns. IOP was maintained at 18 mmHg at baseline and at 40 mmHg during all follow-ups. ONH volume scans were acquired at 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours while maintaining the IOP at 40 mmHg.
Results :
Figure shows the experimental arrangement and a representative high density volume scan of the porcine optic nerve head. The presented methodology allowed for continuous ex vivo imaging of all of study eyes with a superior image quality (> 32 dB) without requiring hydration or artificial tears.
Conclusions :
We have presented a methodology that is convenient for continuous imaging of the retina and optic nerve head ex vivo using Spectralis SD-OCT without requiring artificial tears or corneal hydration. The presented method is likely useful for experimental studies in glaucoma and beyond.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.