Tissue characterization using optical coherence tomography and cone beam computed tomography: A comparative pilot study

Objectives To evaluate the ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in differentiating human oral tissues in comparison with cone beam computed tomography. Study Design In this study, we imaged four types of tissues ex vivo: human enamel, human cortical bone, human trabecular bone, and fatty tissue plus water and air by using OCT (Axsun Inc., Billerica, MA). We then developed a method for qualitative and quantitative analyses of the human specimens. The same types of tissues were also imaged using cone beam computed tomography, and gray-scale values were measured. Results The qualitative indices (intensity profile, contour plot, and histogram) for OCT images were able to provide information regarding surface characteristics as well as changes in tissue properties at different interfaces. The quantitative index (pixel intensity values) was also able to render information regarding the distribution and density of the pixels in different samples. A similar pattern was observed in the pixel intensity values and gray-scale values in both imaging modalities. Conclusions Within the limitations of this ex vivo pilot study, OCT can reliably differentiate between a range of hard and soft tissues.