Highly phase-stable 200 kHz swept-source optical coherence tomography based on KTN electro-optic deflector

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging Technology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) advancements are crucial for high-resolution imaging.
• Phase stability and high temporal resolution are key requirements for applications like elastography, angiography, and vibrometry.
• Existing SS-OCT systems face limitations in achieving the necessary phase stability for sensitive applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel 200 kHz SS-OCT system with enhanced phase stability.
• To demonstrate the system's capability for phase-sensitive biological imaging.
• To validate the system's performance in analyzing dynamic biological processes.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an electro-optically tuned swept source operating at 1321 nm.
• Comprehensive performance characterization, including phase stability and timing jitter measurements.
• Application of the SS-OCT system to image ex vivo human tracheobronchial ciliated epithelium.

Main Results:

• The developed SS-OCT system achieved a high sweep rate of 200 kHz.
• Superior phase stability was demonstrated with 0.0012% scanning variability and <1 ns timing jitter.
• Successful extraction of ciliary motion and ciliary beat frequency from biological samples.

Conclusions:

• The 200 kHz SS-OCT system provides exceptional phase stability, suitable for demanding phase-sensitive imaging.
• The system enables detailed analysis of dynamic biological processes, such as ciliary function.
• This technology holds significant promise for advancing research in respiratory diseases and other fields requiring high-resolution, phase-stable imaging.