Dual window method for processing spectroscopic optical coherence tomography signals with simultaneously high...

Area of Science:

• Optical Physics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Spectroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography (SOCT) is crucial for analyzing complex biological samples.
• Existing SOCT signal analysis methods face a fundamental resolution tradeoff between time (depth) and frequency (wavelength).
• This limitation hinders precise characterization of dynamic spectral and temporal features within OCT signals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel Dual Window (DW) method for reconstructing time-frequency distributions (TFDs) in SOCT.
• To overcome the inherent spectral-temporal resolution tradeoff in current SOCT analysis.
• To provide an artifact-free method for analyzing time- and frequency-varying fields in OCT signals.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Dual Window (DW) method utilizing two orthogonal Gaussian windows.
• Independent control of spectral and temporal resolution through dedicated windows.
• Application and validation of the DW method using simulated and measured OCT signals.

Main Results:

• The DW method successfully reconstructs time-frequency distributions (TFDs) with high spectral and temporal resolution.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in simulations and analysis of real-world OCT data.
• Elimination of artifacts and limitations commonly associated with conventional SOCT processing techniques.

Conclusions:

• The DW method offers a significant advancement in SOCT signal analysis.
• Achieves superior resolution and artifact reduction compared to existing approaches.
• Enables more accurate and detailed characterization of dynamic optical signals in OCT imaging.