Decalcification using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for clear microstructure imaging of cochlea through optical coherence tomography

• Published in: Journal of biomedical optics Vol. 21; no. 8; p. 081204
• Main Authors: Lee, Jaeyul, Kim, Kanghae, Wijesinghe, Ruchire Eranga, Jeon, Doekmin, Lee, Sang Heun, Jeon, Mansik, Jang, Jeong Hun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 01.08.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Cochlea - chemistry; Cochlea - diagnostic imaging; Edetic Acid - chemistry; Guinea Pigs; Histological Techniques - methods; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Tomography, Optical Coherence - methods; decalcification; cochlea; swept source optical coherence tomography; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
• ISSN: 1083-3668; 1560-2281
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.21.8.081204

The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of decalcification using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as an optical clearing method to enhance the depth visibility of internal soft tissues of cochlea. Ex vivo mouse and guinea pig cochlea samples were soaked in EDTA solutions for decalcification, and swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used as imaging modality to monitor the decalcified samples consecutively. The monitored noninvasive cross-sectional images showed that the mouse and guinea pig cochlea samples had to be decalcified for subsequent 7 and 14 days, respectively, to obtain the optimal optical clearing results. Using this method, difficulties in imaging of internal cochlea microstructures of mice could be evaded. The obtained results verified that the depth visibility of the decalcified ex vivo samples was enhanced.