Two-dimensional scanning probe driven by a solenoid-based single actuator for optical coherence tomography.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging
• Microscopy

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) requires precise sample scanning for high-resolution 3D imaging.
• Existing scanning probes often involve complex multi-actuator systems, limiting miniaturization and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a compact, single-actuator two-dimensional scanning probe for OCT applications.
• To evaluate the probe's performance in generating three-dimensional OCT images.

Main Methods:

• A lensed fiber cantilever with an iron bead was designed as the core scanning element.
• A single-solenoid actuator, utilizing off-axis magnetic fields, drove the cantilever to produce elliptic spiral scanning patterns.
• Three-dimensional OCT imaging was performed using the developed probe.

Main Results:

• The probe successfully generated elliptic spiral trace patterns.
• A three-dimensional OCT image was acquired over a 3.8 mm × 3.4 mm area.
• The system achieved an acquisition speed of 16.7 s/V with a B-scan rate up to 27 Hz, completing 1000 A-scans per B-scan.

Conclusions:

• The proposed single-actuator scanning probe is effective for 3D OCT imaging.
• This technology offers a simplified and efficient approach for OCT sample manipulation.
• The probe demonstrates potential for advanced OCT applications requiring precise, high-speed scanning.