In vivo mice brain microcirculation monitoring based on contrast-enhanced SD-OCT

In this paper,we proposed a contrast-enhanced homemade spectral domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT)method for monitoring of brain microcirculation.We used the polyethylene glycol(PEG)-ylated gold nanorods(GNRs)as a contrast-enhanced agent,obtained clearly 2D and 3D OCT images of blood vessels and dynamic changes of probes in mouse blood vessels.Owing to high scattering of the PEG-GNRs,more tiny blood vessels can be imaged and the OCT signal can be enhanced by 5.87 dB after injection of PEG-GNRs for 20 min,the enhancement then declined gradually for 60 min.Our results demonstrate an effective technique for the enhanced imaging of blood vessels in vivo,especially for studies of the brain microcirculation,which could be serviced for disease mechanism research and therapeutic drug monitoring.

IN VIVO MAPPING BRAIN MICROCIRCULATION BY LASER SPECKLE CONTRAST IMAGING:A MAGNETIC RESONANCE PERSPECTIVE OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The fundamental limitations of most vascular-based functional neuroimaging techniques are placed by the fact how fine the brain regulates the blood supply system.In vivo mapping of the cerebral microcirculation with high resolution and sensitivity hence becomes unprecedentedly compelling.This paper reviews the theoretical background of the laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)technique and attempts to present a complete framework stemming from a simple biophysical model.Through the sensitivity analysis,more insights into the tool optimization are attained for in vivo applications.Open questions of the technical aspects are discussed within this unified framework.Finally,it concludes with a brief perspective of future research in a way analogous to the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technique.Such exploration could catalyze their development and initiate a technological fusion for precise assessment of blood flow across various spatial scales.