Resin-embedded ex vivo mouse retina as durable phantoms for optical coherence tomography

Reliable performance testing, calibration, and comparative benchmarking of high-resolution optical coherence tomography (HR-OCT) systems requires durable and standardized phantoms with optical tissue properties. Here, we tested different sample preparation procedures combining various fixative mixtures, infiltration protocols and embedding resins for the establishment of durable retina phantoms. Sample quality was analyzed by evaluation of retina cell layers and tissue defects in volume scans acquired with a commercial HR-OCT system. Our results demonstrate that, by following appropriate preparation protocols, highly stable three-dimensional samples with layered structures as native healthy tissue can be fabricated. Even thin anatomic structures such as the ganglion single cell layer are preserved, which makes the new durable tissue phantoms highly suitable for reliable HR-OCT performance characterization.