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23 kHz MEMS based swept source for optical coherence tomography imaging.

Barry Vuong¹, Cuiru Sun, Mark K Harduar

¹Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ryerson University, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.

Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference

|January 19, 2012

Summary

A new microelectromechanical system (MEMS) swept source laser significantly reduces the size of optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. This miniaturized laser enables robust, portable, and accurate OCT imaging for potential point-of-care applications.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Optical Engineering
Microfabrication

Background:

Clinical translation of medical technology demands robustness, portability, and accuracy.
Current swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are limited by the bulky size of laser components.
Miniaturization is crucial for advancing OCT towards point-of-care applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To characterize a novel microelectromechanical system (MEMS) swept source laser for OCT imaging.
To assess the feasibility of using MEMS technology to create compact OCT laser sources.
To evaluate the performance of the MEMS swept source laser for imaging biological structures.

Main Methods:

Development and characterization of a MEMS swept source laser utilizing a 2-degree of freedom scanning mirror and diffraction grating in a Littrow configuration.
Measurement of laser scanning speed, free spectral range, central wavelength, and 6 dB roll-off depth.
Evaluation of the laser's performance by imaging the structural morphology of a human finger and a *Xenopus laevis* tadpole.

Main Results:

The MEMS swept source laser achieved scanning speeds of 23.165 kHz (bidirectional) and 11.582 kHz (unidirectional).
The laser operated with a free spectral range of ≈ 100 nm around a central wavelength of ≈ 1330 nm and a 6 dB roll-off depth of 2.5 mm.
The volumetric footprint of the MEMS laser source was 70 times smaller than conventional non-MEMS swept sources, with successful imaging of biological samples.

Conclusions:

A MEMS swept source laser offers a significant size reduction for OCT systems, addressing a key challenge in clinical translation.
The demonstrated MEMS laser is suitable for OCT imaging, paving the way for miniaturized, portable OCT devices.
Further miniaturization efforts are ongoing, with the potential for developing OCT systems for point-of-care diagnostics.