Optical Incoherence Tomography: a method to generate tomographic retinal cross-sections with non-interferometric imaging systems

Abstract: Optical tomographic cross-sectional images of biological samples were made possible by interferometric imaging techniques such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). Owing to its unprecedented view of the sample, OCT has become a gold standard, namely for human retinal imaging in the clinical environment. In this Letter, we present Optical Incoherence Tomography (OIT): a completely digital method extending the possibility to generate tomographic retinal cross-sections to non-interferometric imaging systems such as en-face AO-ophthalmoscopes. We demonstrate that OIT can be applied to different imaging modalities using back-scattered and multiply-scattered light including systems without inherent optical sectioning. We show that OIT can be further used to guide focus position when the user is "blind" focusing, allowing precise imaging of translucent retinal structures, the vascular plexuses and the retinal pigment epithelium using respectively split detection, motion contrast, and autofluorescence techniques.