Optical coherence elastography

Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is a non-invasive imaging technique for the mechanical characterization of biological samples in three dimensions at a variety of length scales — from tissues to cells — and that is undergoing rapid development. OCE uses optical coherence tomography to measure the deformation of the sample induced by mechanical loading. A suitable model is applied to estimate a mechanical parameter, such as Young’s modulus, which is then mapped into an image. Over the past two decades, several key features of OCE have considerably developed, including micro-scale spatial resolution and high imaging speed, making OCE viable for biomedical applications, particularly in ophthalmology and oncology. In this Primer, we provide a comprehensive description of OCE. We begin with an overview of the working principles of OCE and its variety of implementations, including experimental set-ups and signal processing methods. We then detail techniques used to induce and measure deformation in OCE and describe prominent OCE application areas, such as the characterization of tissues, cells and biomaterials. Finally, we highlight several key advantages and limitations of OCE and we provide perspectives on likely future advances and opportunities in OCE.