In vivo high-resolution video-rate spectral-domain optical coherence tomography of the human retina and optic nerve.

An ultra-high-speed spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system (SD-OCT) was developed for imaging the human retina and optic nerve in vivo at a sustained depth profile (A-line) acquisition speed of 29 kHz. The axial resolution was 6 microm in tissue and the system had shot-noise-limited performance with a maximum sensitivity of 98.4 dB. 3-dimensional data sets were collected in 11 and 13 seconds for the macula and optic nerve head respectively and are presented to demonstrate the potential clinical applications of SD-OCT in ophthalmology. Additionally, a 3-D volume of the optic nerve head was constructed from the acquired data and the retinal vascular network was visualized.