TY - JOUR
T1 - Integration of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system into an examination incubator to facilitate in vivo imaging of cardiovascular development in higher vertebrate embryos under stable physiological conditions
AU - Happel, Christoph M.
AU - Thrane, Lars
AU - Thommes, Jan
AU - Männer, Jörg
AU - Yelbuz, T. Mesud
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - High-resolution in vivo imaging of higher vertebrate embryos over short or long time periods under
constant physiological conditions is a technically challenging task for researchers working on cardiovascular
development. In chick embryos, for example, various studies have shown that without appropriate
maintenance of temperature, as one of the main environmental factors, the embryonic heart rate drops
rapidly and often results in an increase in regurgitant flow. Hemodynamic parameters are critical stimuli
for cardiovascular development that, for a correct evaluation of their developmental significance, should
be documented under physiological conditions. However, previous studies were mostly carried out outside
of an incubator or under suboptimal environmental conditions. Here we present, to the best of our
knowledge, the first detailed description of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system integrated
into an examination incubator to facilitate real-time in vivo imaging of cardiovascular development under
physiological environmental conditions. We demonstrate the suitability of this OCT examination incubator
unit for use in cardiovascular development studies by examples of proof of principle experiments. We,
furthermore, point out the need for use of examination incubators for physiological OCT examinations
by documenting the effects of room climate (22 ◦C) on the performance of the cardiovascular system of
chick embryos (HH-stages 16/17). Upon exposure to room climate, chick embryos showed a fast drop in
the heart rate and striking changes in the cardiac contraction behaviour and the blood flow through the
vitelline circulation. We have documented these changes for the first time by M-mode OCT and Doppler
M-mode OCT.
AB - High-resolution in vivo imaging of higher vertebrate embryos over short or long time periods under
constant physiological conditions is a technically challenging task for researchers working on cardiovascular
development. In chick embryos, for example, various studies have shown that without appropriate
maintenance of temperature, as one of the main environmental factors, the embryonic heart rate drops
rapidly and often results in an increase in regurgitant flow. Hemodynamic parameters are critical stimuli
for cardiovascular development that, for a correct evaluation of their developmental significance, should
be documented under physiological conditions. However, previous studies were mostly carried out outside
of an incubator or under suboptimal environmental conditions. Here we present, to the best of our
knowledge, the first detailed description of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system integrated
into an examination incubator to facilitate real-time in vivo imaging of cardiovascular development under
physiological environmental conditions. We demonstrate the suitability of this OCT examination incubator
unit for use in cardiovascular development studies by examples of proof of principle experiments. We,
furthermore, point out the need for use of examination incubators for physiological OCT examinations
by documenting the effects of room climate (22 ◦C) on the performance of the cardiovascular system of
chick embryos (HH-stages 16/17). Upon exposure to room climate, chick embryos showed a fast drop in
the heart rate and striking changes in the cardiac contraction behaviour and the blood flow through the
vitelline circulation. We have documented these changes for the first time by M-mode OCT and Doppler
M-mode OCT.
KW - Optical coherence tomography
KW - Examination incubator
KW - Cardiovascular development
U2 - 10.1016/j.aanat.2011.04.006
DO - 10.1016/j.aanat.2011.04.006
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 21641190
VL - 193
SP - 425
EP - 435
JO - Annals of Anatomy
JF - Annals of Anatomy
SN - 0940-9602
IS - 5
ER -