Automated counting method to assess cerebral penetrating vessels in perfusion using optical coherence tomography

Penetrating vessels emanating from cortical surface vasculature and extending into the cortex are key perfused conduits to shuttle blood from superficial pial vessels to capillaries in parenchyma for nourishment of the neuronal tissues in the brain. Locating and counting the functional penetrating vessels is an interesting task to quantify the course of ischemia in blood occlusive events such as stroke, which has been automated using optical angiographic techniques. Here, we introduce a simpler method effective to identify and count the cortical penetrating vessels in automated manner.