Imaging Botanical Subjects with Optical Coherence Tomography: a Feasibility Study

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), an imaging modality that uses reflected near-infrared light to generate micron-scale resolution, cross-sectional images of biological tissue, was applied to imaging of various botanical subjects. Example images are given of sectioned kiwifruit, orange flesh, orange peel, lettuce leaves, and intact cranberries. OCT appears to be well suited for botanical imaging; features at the tissue and cellular level in these subjects were well defined. Cranberries were imaged at different stages of ripeness as judged by flesh color, and repeatable differences were seen in the OCT images of ripe and unripe berries. This preliminary study suggests that OCT can be a valuable tool for non-destructive, morphological imaging of botanical subjects.