Development and clinical application of advanced OCT technologies
Among the pioneering research results of the group were the first demonstration of an optical A-scan (basic element of an OCT image, 1990) and the first demonstration of Fourier domain OCT methods (basic technology of all modern OCT systems, 1995). These results were awarded with the Russ Prize of the US National Academy of Engineering (2017).
Present research focuses on functional extensions of OCT like polarization sensitive OCT, Doppler OCT, multibeam OCT, as well as high-resolution imaging methods using adaptive optics. Our work on translational OCT covers pilot studies and larger clinical trials in the field of ocular imaging, comprising diseases like age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and others. Our work resulted in ~ 200 peer reviewed publications.
Research Area
Team members
Principal Investigator
Members
- Gerold Aschinger
- Bernhard Baumann
- Angela Baumgartner
- Florian Beer
- Marco Bonesi
- Charlotte Brouwer
- Ana Rita Carvalho
- Sylvia Desissaire
- Sabine Dichtl
- Wolfgang Drexler
- Félix Fanjul-Velez
- Franz Felberer
- Paul Fuchs
- Martin Fürst
- Erich Götzinger
- Richard Haindl
- Catharina Hauer
- Christoph Hitzenberger (former group leader)
- Christoph Hofer
- Johannes Jungwirth
- Jana Kainerstorfer
- Julian Kiefer
- Julia-Sophie Kroisamer
- Manfred Kulhavy
- Marie Laslandes
- Alice Motschi
- Rahul Patil
- Hannah Prokesch
- Matthias Rechenmacher
- Matthias Salas
- Muhammad Faizan Shirazi
- Markus Sticker
- Mitsuro Sugita
- Wolfgang Trasischker
- Teresa Torzicky
- Paul Vetschera
- Andreas Wartak
- Stefan Zotter
- The angiofibrotic switch in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (2019)
FWF (Austrian Science Fund), together with Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry (PI) - MERLIN (2017)
EC Horizon 2020 - Individual structure function map using nerve fiber tracing (2017)
FWF (Austrian Science Fund), together with Department of Ophthalmology and Optometry (PI) and CeMSIIS - Polarization sensitive OCT for ocular imaging (2017)
Narayana Nethralaya Foundation - Phase-sensitive multibeam OCT systems (2014)
FWF (Austrian Science Fund)
Selected peer-reviewed publications
Complete List of Publications Pircher
- C.K. Hitzenberger: "Optical Measurement of the Axial Eye Length by Laser Doppler Interferometry." Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 32, 616, 1991.
(This paper introduces the optical A-scan, the basis of modern ocular biometry and the basic element of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan). - A.F. Fercher, C.K. Hitzenberger, G. Kamp, S.Y. El-Zaiat: "Measurement of Intraocular Distances by Backscattering Spectral Interferometry." Opt. Commun. 117, 43, 1995.
(This paper introduces the Fourier domain optical A-scan and forms the basis of Fourier domain OCT, the industry standard of modern OCT). - E. Götzinger, M. Pircher, W. Geitzenauer, C. Ahlers, B. Baumann, S. Michels, U. Schmidt-Erfurth, C.K. Hitzenberger: "Retinal pigment epithelium segmentation by polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography". Opt. Express 16, 16410-16422, 2008.
(This paper is the first to demonstrate automated segmentation of a retinal layer by intrinsic, tissue specific polarization contrast). - M. Pircher, C.K. Hitzenberger, U. Schmidt-Erfurth: "Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography in the Human Eye". Prog. Ret. Eye Res. 30, 431-451, 2011.
(This is a comprehensive review paper on polarization sensitive OCT methods used for ophthalmic applications). - F. Felberer, J.S. Kroisamer, B. Baumann, S. Zotter, U. Schmidt-Erfurth, C.K. Hitzenberger, M. Pircher: “Adaptive optics SLO/OCT for 3D imaging of human photoreceptors in vivo”, Biomed. Opt. Express 5, 439-456, 2014.
(This paper is the first to demonstrate OCT imaging of cone photoreceptors in the human fovea centralis and of rod photoreceptors in the human retina).
- Desissaire, Sylvia, Advanced OCT methods for quantification of retinal vascular and tissue properties, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2022.
- Wartak, Andreas, Multi-channel optical coherence tomography for retinal imaging, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2018.
- Salas, Matthias, Cellular resolution retinal imaging with adaptive optics OCT, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2018.
- Haindl, Richard, Multibeam Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2017.
- Fürst, Martin, Optical coherence tomography for vascular skin imaging, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2017.
- Trasischker, Wolfgang, Phase Sensitive Multichannel OCT, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2015.
- Sugita, Mitsuro, Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography with Retinal Tracking and Multiple Frame Processing, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2015.
- Felberer, Franz, Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy in Combination with En-face Optical Coherence Tomography, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2014.
- Torzicky, Teresa, Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography at 1060 nm for retinal imaging, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2014.
- De Carvalho, Ana Rita, Evaluation and improvement of the performance of an adaptive opticsscanning laser ophthalmoscope, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2014.
- Vetschera, Paul, Implementation of a line-scanning laser ophthalmoscope into an adaptive optics system, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2014.
- Rechenmacher, Matthias, Polarization-sensitive adaptive optics enhanced optical coherence tomography with dynamic focus, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2014.
- Zotter, Stefan, Functional Extensions of Optical Coherence Tomography, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2012.
- Aschinger, Gerold, Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2012.
- Kainerstorfer, Jana, Quantitative functional optical imaging of the human skin using multi-spectral imaging, PhD thesis, University of Vienna, 2010.
- Baumann, Bernhard, Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography in the human eye, PhD thesis, Medical University of Vienna, 2009.
- Erich, Götzinger, Advanced optical coherence tomography techniques in time domain and spectral domain, PhD thesis, University of Vienna, 2007.
- Baumann, Bernhard, Spektrale Optische Kohärenztomographie bei 1310 nm, MSc thesis, University of Vienna, 2009.
- Jungwirth, Johannes, Der Vorderabschnitt des Auges in spektraler optischer Kohärenztomographie, MSc thesis, University of Vienna, 2009.
- Prokesch, Hannah, Integration eines Hartmann-Shack-Wellenfrontsensors in ein Scanning Laser Ophthalmoskop für hochauflösende retinale Diagnostik, MSc thesis, University of Vienna, 2009.
- Kainerstorfer, Jana, Probing the “fast signal” in near infrared spectroscopy, MSc thesis, University of Vienna, 2007.
- Pircher, Michael, Contrasting techniques in optical coherence tomography, PhD thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2003.
- Götzinger, Erich, Messung und Abbildung doppelbrechender Strukturen mittels phasenempfindlicher Polarisations-Teilkohärenztomographie, MSc thesis, University of Vienna, 2001.
- Markus, Sticker, Phase contrast methods in optical coherence tomography, PhD thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 2001.
- Dichtl, Sabine, Polarisationssensitive Optische Kohärenztomographie in der Zahnheilkunde, MD thesis, University of Vienna, 1998.
- Hofer, Christoph, Messung doppelbrechender Eigenschaften transparenter Medien mittels polarisationsabhängiger Teilkohärenzinterferometrie, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 1998.
- Kulhavy, Manfred, Messung intraokularer Distanzen mittels durchstimmbarer Single-Mode-Laser, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 1998.
- Baumgartner, Angela, Signal and resolution enhancements in partial coherence interferometry and optical coherence tomography, PhD thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 1997.
- Drexler, Wolfgang, In vivo optical coherence tomography and topography of the fundus of the human eye, PhD thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 1995.
- Baumgartner, Angela, Messung intraokularer Distanzen am menschlichen Auge mittels Teilkohärenz-Interferometrie, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 1994.
- Drexler, Wolfgang, Optische Messung des Fundusprofils und der Achsenlänge des Auges mittels Laser-Doppler-Interferometrie, MSc thesis, Vienna University of Technology, 1991.