Comparative performance analysis of time-frequency distributions for spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Biomedical Imaging
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Spectroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography (SOCT) signal analysis faces a fundamental trade-off between time and frequency resolution.
• Joint Time-Frequency Distributions (TFDs) are crucial for mitigating this resolution trade-off in SOCT data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare and validate the performance of various TFDs for SOCT signal analysis.
• To determine the optimal TFDs for different SOCT imaging schemes.
• To assess the impact of prior information on model-based TF analysis.

Main Methods:

• Generation of synthesized SOCT signals and acquisition of experimental data.
• Application and comparison of several different TFDs, including Cohen's class and linear TFDs.
• Development of specific criteria to quantitatively evaluate TFD performance.

Main Results:

• Different SOCT imaging schemes necessitate distinct optimal TFDs for signal analysis.
• Cohen's class TFDs provide the most compact time-frequency (TF) representation.
• Linear TFDs deliver the most reliable TF analysis.

Conclusions:

• The choice of TFD is critical and scheme-dependent for effective SOCT signal processing.
• Model-based TF analysis can enhance performance when prior information is available.
• This study provides guidelines for selecting appropriate TFDs to optimize SOCT imaging.