Quantitative polarized light microscopy of human cochlear sections

Abstract

Dysfunction of the inner ear is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss, which is the most common sensory deficit worldwide. Conventional imaging modalities are unable to depict the microanatomy of the human inner ear, hence the need to explore novel imaging modalities. We provide the first characterization of the polarization dependent optical properties of human cochlear sections using quantitative polarized light microscopy (qPLM). Eight pediatric cadaveric cochlear sections, aged 0 (term) to 24 months, were selected from the US National Temporal Bone Registry, imaged with qPLM and analyzed using Image J. Retardance of the bony otic capsule and basilar membrane were substantially higher than that of the stria vascularis, spiral ganglion neurons, organ of Corti and spiral ligament across the half turns of the spiraling cochlea. qPLM provides quantitative information about the human inner ear, and awaits future exploration in vivo. fold imaging with polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography and a MEMS scanning catheter," Opt.

Endomicroscopy of the human cochlea using a micro-optical coherence tomography catheter

“…By contrast, we were able to demonstrate up to 2 μm-scale resolution imaging via a minimally-invasive round window approach, and were able to see structural detail of diagnostic relevance for SNHL in the organ of Corti region. While additional high-resolution imaging techniques have been used to study temporal bones (reviewed in Bommakanti et al 15 ), such as two-photon fluorescence microscopy 16 , light sheet fluorescence microscopy 17 , synchrotron-radiation phase contrast imaging 18 , volumetric optical coherence tomography vibratometry 19 , quantitative polarized light microscopy 20 and histology 12 , they have not yet been incorporated into a microendoscope for intracochlear applications in humans.…”

Full-Range Optical Imaging of Planar Collagen Fiber Orientation Using Polarized Light Microscopy

“…In contrast to QPLM [ 20 , 21 ], CLSM [ 13 , 14 ], or MM [ 15 ], the proposed method does not require any additional equipment such as quarter-wave plates [ 34 , 35 ] and compensators [ 29 – 33 ] which may be difficult or even impossible to be supplemented into some of the microscopes as it was in our case; it is based on light microscopy and requires only two polarizers and a standard rotary table. Thus, the proposed method appears promising thanks to its broad applicability even with the simplest polarized light microscopes.…”

Microanatomy of the human tunnel of Corti structures and cochlear partition‐tonotopic variations and transcellular signaling

“…This may create optimal conditions to relay mechanical vibrations from the IPC base to the IHC along the CP at different frequencies. and guinea pig (Kalwani et al, 2013;Liu et al, 2015;Low et al, 2015;Neubert, 1950;Raufer et al, 2020;Shribak & Oldenbourg, 2003).…”