Curved-field optical coherence tomography: large-field imaging of human corneal cells and nerves

Abstract: High-resolution optical imaging methods, such as confocal microscopy and full-field optical coherence tomography, capture flat optical sections of the sample. If the sample is curved, the optical field sections through several sample layers and the view of each layer is reduced. Here we present curved-field optical coherence tomography, capable of capturing optical sections of arbitrary curvature. We test the device on a challenging task of imaging the human cornea in vivo and achieve 10x larger viewing area comparing to the clinical state-of-the-art. This enables more precise cell and nerve counts, opening a path to improved diagnosis of corneal and general health conditions (e.g. diabetes). The method is non-contact, compact and works in a single-shot, making it readily available for use in optical research and clinical practice.