High-speed volumetric in vivo medical imaging for morphometric analysis of the human optic nerve head

Glaucoma, a world leading cause of blindness, is a progressive optic neuropathic disease associated with uncontrollable intra-ocular pressure. Vision loss from glaucomatous damage is irreversible but the onset is preventable if diagnosed early. Biomechanical changes of the Optic Nerve Head (ONH) specifically the lamina cribrosa have been suggested to be associated to glaucoma susceptibility. However, imaging the ONH is complicated by its location at the back of the eye. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging modality that can image the retina but commercial OCT systems do not have the tissue penetration to image deeper structures of the ONH. In this thesis, volumetric OCT data are compared with the clinical gold standard of ophthalmic imaging, stereo disc photography, to provide clinicians with a better understanding of the disc margin anatomy. Development of a high-speed 1µm swept source OCT system is presented that can visualize essential features of the ONH.