Full range spectral domain optical coherence tomography using a fiber-optic probe as a self-phase shifter

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Optical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a key imaging modality.
• Conventional SD-OCT systems often require complex setups to eliminate image artifacts.
• A full-range, complex-conjugate-free imaging method is desirable for practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel handheld probe for spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
• To achieve full-range, complex-conjugate-free OCT imaging using a simplified system.
• To demonstrate the probe's capability in imaging biological and non-biological samples.

Main Methods:

• A handheld probe type spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system was designed.
• The sample arm incorporated a tilted fiber-optic cantilever scanner to induce phase shifts during scanning.
• A magnetically actuated probe was utilized to implement the scanning mechanism.

Main Results:

• The developed probe successfully generated full-range, complex-conjugate-free SD-OCT images.
• Images of a pearl, human fingernail, and human tooth were acquired.
• The system achieved a scanning range of 3 mm and an acquisition speed of 20 frames/s.

Conclusions:

• The proposed handheld SD-OCT probe with a tilted fiber-optic scanner offers a simplified approach to full-range imaging.
• This technique effectively eliminates the need for additional phase shifters in the reference arm.
• The probe demonstrates potential for in-situ, high-resolution imaging of various samples.