Ex vivo investigations on the potential of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a diagnostic tool for reproductive medicine in a bovine model

Routine infertility investigations in the male and female include imaging techniques such as ultrasonography and endoscopy (fertiloscopy). However, these techniques lack the resolution to localize vital sperm or to reveal detailed morphological analysis of the oviduct which is often the cause of infertility in females. Therefore we set out to evaluate the efficiency of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a diagnostic imaging tool for micron-scale visualization of the male and female genital tract. Using the bovine as a model, the optical features of the Telesto (TM), Ganymede (TM) (both Thorlabs) and Niris (TM) (Imalux) OCT imaging systems were compared. GRAPHICS] Comparative visualization of ex vivo bovine testicular tissue by the Telesto (TM) microscopic optical coherence tomography system (left) and corresponding H&E staining (right).