White light polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography for sub-micron axial resolution and spectroscopic contrast in the murine retina

A white light polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography system has been developed, using a supercontinuum laser as the light source. By detecting backscattered light from 400 – 700 nm, an axial resolution of 1.0 µm in air was achieved. The system consists of a free-space interferometer and two homemade spectrometers that detect orthogonal polarization states. Following system specifications, images of a healthy murine retina as acquired by this non-contact system are presented, showing high resolution reflectivity images as well as spectroscopic and polarization sensitive contrast. Additional images of the very-low-density-lipoprotein-receptor (VLDLR) knockout mouse model were acquired. The high resolution allows the detection of small lesions in the retina.