Simultaneous acquisition of the real and imaginary components in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography using harmonic detection

Andrei B. Vakhtin; Daniel J. Kane; Kristen A. Peterson

doi:10.1117/12.685400

23 October 2006 Simultaneous acquisition of the real and imaginary components in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography using harmonic detection

Andrei B. Vakhtin, Daniel J. Kane, Kristen A. Peterson

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6380, Smart Medical and Biomedical Sensor Technology IV; 63800N (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.685400
Event: Optics East 2006, 2006, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Abstract

Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) is an interferometric imaging technique that allows imaging to depths of a few mm in scattering biological tissues with high resolution of the order of 1-10 μm. However, the usefulness of FD-OCT is limited by background and autocorrelation interference terms that reduce the sensitivity and by phase ambiguity that halves the useful imaging depth range. These limitations can be overcome by obtaining the full, complex spectral interferogram. Simultaneous detection of the imaginary and real terms is obtained by phase modulating the reference arm of the interferometer and detecting at the first and second harmonics. A mathematical derivation of harmonically detected FD-OCT and experimental measurements showing that phase ambiguity artifacts can be suppressed by up to 70 dB are presented. The method provides efficient suppression of the complex conjugate, dc, and autocorrelation artifacts and has low sensitivity to phase noise. Beyond the removal of artifacts, the ability to obtain the full, complex interferogram is key to the development of spectrally resolved FD-OCT which would add depth-resolved spectroscopic detail to the structural information.

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Andrei B. Vakhtin, Daniel J. Kane, and Kristen A. Peterson "Simultaneous acquisition of the real and imaginary components in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography using harmonic detection", Proc. SPIE 6380, Smart Medical and Biomedical Sensor Technology IV, 63800N (23 October 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.685400

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