Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080252899 | Optical coherence tomography system and optical coherence tomography method - A tunable light source | 10-16-2008 |
20090009771 | DIFFRACTION GRATING BASED INTERFEROMETRIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Diffraction grating based fiber optic interferometric systems for use in optical coherence tomography, wherein sample and reference light beams are formed by a first beam splitter and the sample light beam received from a sample and a reference light beam are combined on a second beam splitter. In one embodiment, the first beam splitter is an approximately 50/50 beam splitter, and the second beam splitter is a non 50/50 beam splitter. More than half of the energy of the sample light beam is directed into the combined beam and less than half of the energy of the reference light beam are directed into the combined beam by the second beam splitter. In another embodiment, the first beam splitter is a non 50/50 beam splitter and the second beam splitter is an approximately 50/50 beam splitter. An optical circulator is provided to enable the sample light beam to bypass the first beam splitter after interaction with a sample. Two combined beams are formed by the second beam splitter for detection by two respective detectors. More than half of the energy of the light source provided to the first beam splitter is directed into the sample light beam and less than half of the energy is directed into the reference light beam. The energy distribution between the sample and reference light beams can be controlled by selection of the characteristics of the beam splitters. | 01-08-2009 |
20090021745 | Optical Coherence Tomography Device and Measuring Head - An optical coherence tomography device includes: a light source | 01-22-2009 |
20090033943 | Interferometric Measuring Device - A device for an interferometric measuring device having a first interferometer and a second interferometer, short coherent radiation being supplied to the first interferometer via a radiation source which is split into to beam components by a first beam splitter; and the optical path length in a beam component being longer than in the other beam component to the effect that the optical path difference is greater than the coherence length of the radiation; before emerging from the first interferometer, the two beam components being recombined and supplied to the second interferometer, which splits the radiation into two additional beam components; the optical path lengths of the two beam components being different to the effect that the optical path difference registered in the first interferometer is balanced again; the optical path length for the respective beam component in the first and the second interferometer being able to be set by at least one movable optical component, and the movable optical components are coupled to each other mechanically. A method for balancing an optical path difference in such an interferometric measuring device, the optical path differences between the beam components being changed in the two interferometers by mechanically coupled movable optical components at the same time and by the same absolute amount. By doing this, path differences in the beam components of the interferometers are able to be varied in one working step, the conditions for the formation of interference being complied with. | 02-05-2009 |
20090046295 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR UNIFORM SAMPLE CLOCKING - A method and a system for Uniform Frequency Sample Clocking to directly sample the OCT signal with a temporally-non-linear sampling clock derived from a k-space wavemeter on the external sample clock input port of a digitizer. | 02-19-2009 |
20090051923 | ARTERIAL PROBE FOR OCT - An apparatus and associated method for detecting vulnerable plaque within a lumen defined by an intraluminal wall is described. The apparatus includes a probe having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The apparatus includes an optical waveguide extending along the probe. The optical waveguide is configured to carry optical radiation between the distal and proximal portions, and has a distal end in communication with the intraluminal wall. The apparatus includes an interferometer coupled to the optical waveguide and configured to provide an interference signal for sub-surface imaging of the intraluminal wall, and a processing module configured to provide spectroscopic information from detected intensity of light collected from the intraluminal wall. | 02-26-2009 |
20090073455 | Image Diagnostic Apparatus and Method - An image diagnostic apparatus includes a probe capable of light transmission and reception, wherein a reflection light in a coelom is obtained from the probe by scanning the probe rotatingly in the coelom, and a tomographic image in the coelom is formed and outputted based on the obtained reflection light. A light-shield is provided to shield the light transmitted to the probe, a connection detector detects whether or not the probe is connected, and a controller controls the light-shield based on a detected result by the connection detector. | 03-19-2009 |
20090073456 | APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR LOW-COHERENCE INTERFEROMETRY (LCI) - Embodiments described herein involve low-coherence interferometry (LCI) techniques which enable acquisition of structural and depth information regarding a sample of interest. In one embodiment, a “swept-source” (SS) light source is used in LCI to obtain structural and depth information about a sample. The swept-source light source can be used to generate a reference signal and a signal directed towards a sample. Light scattered from the sample is returned as a result and mixed with the reference signal to achieve interference and thus provide structural information regarding the sample. Depth information about the sample can be obtained using Fourier domain concepts as well as time domain techniques. Several LCI embodiments employing a swept-source light source are disclosed herein. In another embodiment disclosed herein, an a/LCI system and method is provided that is based on a time domain system and employs a broadband light source. The systems and processes disclosed herein can be used for biomedical applications, including measuring cellular morphology in tissues and in vitro as well as diagnosing intraepithelial neoplasia, and assessing the efficacy of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. | 03-19-2009 |
20090086213 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING SYSTEM - The optical tomographic imaging system includes a main body for acquiring an optical tomographic image, an optical probe having a rotary optical fiber for guiding the measuring and returning light, a measuring unit, and a sheath rotatably holding the rotary optical fiber and the measuring unit, a rotary drive unit for rotatably coupling the rotary optical fiber to a stationary optical fiber connected with the main body, an extra length handling mechanism for winding the optical probe into a loop having at least a minimum diameter and an attaching unit removably attaching the optical probe. The extra length handling mechanism winds an extra length of the optical probe by a length depending upon a length up to the location to be examined. The system eliminates the need to change the optical probe depending upon the location to be examined and the need to adjust the optical path length of reference light. | 04-02-2009 |
20090091766 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - An optical coherence tomographic apparatus wherein a reference light path includes at least a first reference light path and a second reference light path having an optical path length shorter than that of the first reference light path, wherein first tomographic information of the object at a first inspection position based on the optical interference using the first reference light path and second tomographic information of the object at a second inspection position based on the optical interference using the second reference light path, are acquired, the second inspection position being shallower than the first inspection position with respect to a depth direction of the object, and wherein a positional deviation a tomographic image at the first inspection position obtained based on the first tomographic information is corrected using the second tomographic information. | 04-09-2009 |
20090174886 | SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE BY OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY - In optical tomography measurement using light, the wavelength of which is periodically swept, interference light between reflection light and reference light is split into first interference light and second interference light by a light splitting means. The optical path length of the first interference light and that of the second interference light are adjusted by an interference-light optical path length adjustment means so that they become the same. Further, balanced detection is performed on the first interference light and the second interference light by an interference light detection means. | 07-09-2009 |
20090185191 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IMAGING THE EAR USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - A method of forming an image of tissue. The method includes non-invasively inserting a fiber-based device into a patient's ear canal and acquiring OCT data from ear tissue while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal. The method also includes converting the OCT data into at least one image. | 07-23-2009 |
20090257065 | SURGICAL MICROSCOPY SYSTEM HAVING AN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FACILITY - A surgical microscopy system is provided wherein an optical coherence tomography facility is integrated into a microscopy system. A beam of measuring light formed by collimating optics of an OCT system is deflected by a beam scanner, traverses imaging optics, and is reflected by a reflector such that the beam of measuring light traverses an objective lens of microscopy optics and is directed to an object region of the microscopy optics. A position of the beam of measuring light being incident on the reflector is substantially independent on a direction into which the beam of measuring light is deflected by the beam scanner. When traveling through the beam scanner, the beam of measuring light is comprised of a bundle of substantially parallel light rays. | 10-15-2009 |
20090262361 | OPTICAL PROBE - A catheter device for an optical coherence tomography apparatus is configured to enhance the resolution of the cross-sectional image in the azimuthal direction. The catheter device includes a drive shaft driven to rotate in a catheter sheath, an optical fiber in the drive shaft and driven to rotate with the drive shaft, and an optical component attached to a distal portion of the optical fiber. The catheter device emits light, transmitted in the optical fiber, into a body cavity through the optical component. A surface on the optical path of the optical component is a curved surface facing the drive shaft direction or the azimuthal direction to ensure that, when light emitted from the optical component is radiated into the body cavity via the catheter sheath, the difference between the diameter of the radiated light in the drive axis direction and the azimuthal direction is reduced. | 10-22-2009 |
20090268208 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING THE CONTOUR DATA AND/OR OPTICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL SEMI-TRANSPARENT OBJECT - A method and device for detecting the contour data and/or optical characteristics of an object, such as a tooth or a tooth restoration, based on an interference and/or autocorrelation measurement using an image sensor. To permit an exact surface detection in addition to a determination of the optical characteristics of the object, individual light beams strike the object, which are located at a distance from one another in such a way that no impact of reflected individual light beams takes place on immediately adjacent pixels of the image sensor. | 10-29-2009 |
20090268209 | Method and Apparatus for Determination of Geometric Values on an Object - A Michelson-interferometer which has two reference arms and a short coherence length is used for the method and apparatus for measurement of geometric values on transparent or diffuse objects ( | 10-29-2009 |
20090284748 | Speckle Noise Reduction in Coherent Imaging Systems - A method for reducing speckle noise in a coherent imaging system includes applying a time varying phase gradient across a sample beam of the system to convert spatial distortion to temporal noise, recording a plurality of measurements of the sample beam, and averaging the plurality of measurements to reduce the temporal noise. Another method includes acquiring a plurality of sample scans while modulating a numerical aperture of a sample beam, and concatenating the plurality of scans such that speckle noise is decorrelated from adjacent scans of the plurality of scans. An apparatus for reducing speckle noise includes an optical element for applying a time varying phase gradient across a sample beam of the system to convert spatial distortion to temporal noise, a detector for recording a plurality of measurements of the sample beam, and circuitry for averaging the plurality of measurements to reduce the temporal noise. | 11-19-2009 |
20090323076 | HIGH RESOLUTION OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY BASED IMAGING FOR INTRALUMINAL AND INTERSTITIAL USE IMPLEMENTED WITH A REDUCED FORM FACTOR - Mechanically robust minimal form factor OCT probes suitable for medical applications such as needle biopsy, intraluminal and intravascular imaging are achieved in part by employing compound lenses with some or all of the optical elements, including an optical fiber, to be thermally fused in tandem. To achieve a desired working distance without increasing a diameter of the optics assembly, a spacer can be disposed between the optical fiber and focusing optics. The compound lens configuration can achieve higher transverse resolution compared to a single lens at a desired working distance without increasing the probe diameter. In exemplary needle biopsy embodiments, the optical assembly is encapsulated in a glass housing or metal-like housing with a glass window, which is then selectively passed through a hollow needle. Esophageal imaging embodiments are combined with a balloon catheter. Circumferential and three-dimensional spiral scanning can be achieved in each embodiment. | 12-31-2009 |
20100002240 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND OPTICAL PROBE - In the optical tomographic imaging apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention, since a stable light intensity can be secured for a reflected light beam of a measurement light beam reflected off of a transmitting surface of a probe outer casing as a returning light beam to an optical fiber, the optical path length difference between a reference light beam and the measurement light beam can be precisely adjusted by adjusting the optical path length of the reference light beam with an optical path length adjusting device. In addition, a signal of a measurement object can be reliably detected from a detection signal of an interference light beam detected by an interference light detecting device. | 01-07-2010 |
20100014093 | Measurements of Optical Inhomogeneity and Other Properties in Substances Using Propagation Modes of Light - This application describes designs, implementations, and techniques for controlling propagation mode or modes of light in a common optical path, which may include one or more waveguides, to sense a sample. | 01-21-2010 |
20100033730 | OPTICAL IMAGING SYSTEM BASED ON COHERENCE FREQUENCY DOMAIN REFLECTOMETRY - Provided is an optical imaging system based on a coherence frequency domain reflectometry, including: a light source generating an electromagnetic wave; a splitting unit splitting the electromagnetic wave into first and second beams; a reflecting unit reflecting the first beam and re-transmitting the reflected first beam to the splitter; an objective lens projecting the second beam onto an object to be recorded; a photodetector transforming an interference pattern into a current signal, wherein the first beam reflected from the reflector interferes with the second beam reflected from the object to generate the interference pattern; and an electronic processing unit processing the current signal to generate an image of the object from the interference pattern. Therefore, a lateral resolution can be improved, and Rayleigh limits can be overcome. | 02-11-2010 |
20100039651 | INTERFEROMETRIC DEVICE (VARIANTS) - Variants of an interferometric device are developed for examining internal structures of objects by means of optical coherence tomography, which allow for controlling a boundary location of the observation range. The device also allows for correcting a distortion of the tomographic image of the object under study, caused by lateral scanning, due to aberrations of the optical path length for the low-coherence optical radiation directed towards the object. Embodiments of the device include either one, or two fiber-optic controlled scanners, which in different combinations perform a function of in-depth scanning of the coherence window of low-coherence optical radiation within the observation range, a function of controlling a boundary location of the observation range, and a function of compensating the optical path length aberration for the low-coherence optical radiation directed towards the object, caused by lateral scanning. | 02-18-2010 |
20100053632 | Single Trace Multi-Channel Low Coherence Interferometric Sensor - Interferometers and autocorrelator based sensors are disclosed that are configured to have multiple sample arms which can be scanned and the backscattered low coherence source light from a sample resolved in a single sweep of one or more variable delays of the sensor. Borescopes and catheters capable of scanning multiple sections or areas of materials and tissues using these sensors are described. | 03-04-2010 |
20100141954 | Optical coherence tomography apparatus - An optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a light source for generating a low-coherent light beam, which is split into a probe light beam toward the object and a reference light beam toward a reference optical path. The probe light beam is swept one-dimensionally at a predetermined frequency. An interference light beam is produced by interference between the probe light beam from the object and the reference light beam that has traveled along the reference optical path. The interference light beam is re-swept in the same direction and at the same frequency as the probe light beam. A two-dimensional image-capturing device detects the re-swept interference light beam at a frame rate corresponding to the light beam sweeping frequency and produces a video signal, which is processed to provide reflection intensity information of an interior of an object to be measured. Since the two-dimensional image-capturing means is employed and interference information is obtained using low-speed beam sweeping and re-sweeping means, a scanning optical system can be straightforwardly constructed. | 06-10-2010 |
20100157309 | SPECKLE REDUCTION IN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY BY PATH LENGTH ENCODED ANGULAR COMPOUNDING - Speckle, a factor reducing image quality in optical coherence tomography (“OCT”), can limit the ability to identify cellular structures that are important for the diagnosis of a variety of diseases. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention can facilitate an implementation of an angular compounding, angular compounding by path length encoding (“ACPE”) for reducing speckle in OCT images. By averaging images obtained at different incident angles, with each image encoded by path length, ACPE maintains high-speed image acquisition and implements minimal modifications to OCT probe optics. ACPE images obtained from tissue phantoms and human skin in vivo demonstrate a qualitative improvement over traditional OCT and an increased signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”). Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of an apparatus probe catheter and method can be provided for irradiating a structure. In particular, an interferometer may forward forwarding an electromagnetic radiation. In addition, a sample arm may receive the electromagnetic radiation, and can include an arrangement which facilitates a production of at least two radiations from the electromagnetic radiation so as to irradiate the structure. Such exemplary arrangement can be configured to delay a first radiation of the at least two radiations with respect to a second radiation of the at least two radiations. | 06-24-2010 |
20100165353 | ARTERIAL PROBE FOR OCT - An apparatus for detecting vulnerable plaque within a lumen defined by an intraluminal wall is described. The apparatus includes a probe having a distal portion and a proximal portion. The apparatus includes an optical waveguide extending along the probe. The optical waveguide is configured to carry optical radiation between the distal and proximal portions, and has a distal end in communication with the intraluminal wall. The apparatus includes an interferometer coupled to the optical waveguide and configured to provide an interference signal for sub-surface imaging of the intraluminal wall, and a processing module configured to provide spectroscopic information from detected intensity of light collected from the intraluminal wall. | 07-01-2010 |
20100208270 | Low-cost, portable, rugged optical coherence tomography system - An interferometric system for metrology as well as imaging (e.g., optical coherence tomography or OCT) is described here. The system leverages advancements in telecommunication and device technologies. For example, the reference arm in the interferometric system can be a fiber-optically integrated Faraday rotating mirror. By way of example, but not limitation, typically, the light in the detection arm of the Michelson interferometer can be measured using a Volume phase holographic dispersion grating. By way of example, but not limitation, the dispersed light can be focused on a line-scan camera or multi-line 2-D camera. | 08-19-2010 |
20100220333 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - This invention relates to an optical coherence tomography, in which a light source and an optical linear beam forming system are adopted to obtain two dimensional image of high quality resolution within short time without affection by any mechanical movements. For such purpose, the optical linear beam forming system ( | 09-02-2010 |
20100238454 | Optical MEMS Chemical Sensor Array - A change in mass of a microbridge in a mass sensor can be sensed by applying a time-varying amplitude modulated electrostatic force to excite the microbridge into resonance at the frequency of amplitude modulation. An optical energy is then transmitted at a wavelength close to a resonant wavelength of a Fabry-Perot microcavity, which is formed by etching a movable reflective mirror into a region of the microbridge and by etching a fixed reflective minor in a region spaced apart from the microbridge. The two mirrors are interconnected by an optical waveguide. The movable mirror and fixed mirror reflect the optical energy to a receiver, and a change in the Fabry-Perot microcavity's reflectivity is interferometrically determined. The change in reflectivity indicates a change in the microbridge's resonant frequency due to increased mass of the microbridge resulting from sorption of a target chemical by a layer of chemoselective material deposited on the microbridge. | 09-23-2010 |
20100245836 | Low-cost, compact, & automated diabetic retinopathy diagnostics & management device - A Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnostic system based on OCT which will map 3-D blood circulation including velocity information with micron-scale resolution in the retina is disclosed here. The system leverages the advancements in telecommunication and device technologies and employs novel Doppler algorithms. For example, the reference arm in the interferometric system can be a fiber-optically integrated Faraday rotating mirror. By way of example, but not limitation, typically, the light in the detection arm of the Michelson interferometer can be measured using a Volume phase holographic dispersion grating. By way of example, but not limitation, the dispersed light can be focused on a line-scan camera or multi-line 2-D camera. | 09-30-2010 |
20100253949 | Miniature Optical Elements for Fiber-Optic Beam Shaping - In part, the invention relates to optical caps having at least one lensed surface configured to redirect and focus light outside of the cap. The cap is placed over an optical fiber. Optical radiation travels through the fiber and interacts with the optical surface or optical surfaces of the cap, resulting in a beam that is either focused at a distance outside of the cap or substantially collimated. The optical elements such as the elongate caps described herein can be used with various data collection modalities such optical coherence tomography. In part, the invention relates to a lens assembly that includes a micro-lens; a beam director in optical communication with the micro-lens; and a substantially transparent film or cover. The substantially transparent film is capable of bi-directionally transmitting light, and generating a controlled amount of backscatter. The film can surround a portion of the beam director. | 10-07-2010 |
20100259758 | Semiconductor light emitting element, light source using the semiconductor light emitting element, and optical tomography imaging apparatus - A semiconductor light emitting element is equipped with a layered structure including an active layer, and electrode layers at the upper and lower surfaces thereof. At least one of the upper and lower electrode layers is divided into at least two electrodes, which are separated in the wave guiding direction of light. The active layer is structured to have different gain wavelengths along the wave guiding direction, to emit light having different spectra from each region corresponding to each of the at least two electrodes. The spectral distribution of output light is enabled to be varied by individually varying the current injected by each of the at least two divided electrodes. | 10-14-2010 |
20100302550 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF RELATIVE DISTANCES - An optical time domain coherence tomograph including an object beam path, a detection beam path and a detector unit. An interferometer unit, which has a first and a second beam path part having different optical path lengths, splits radiation and feeds it into the two beam path parts and superimposes it again after passage through the beam path parts and thus generates a dual beam, which has components which are axially offset to one another because of the differing optical path lengths of the two beam path parts. A scanning unit has a first adjuster and a second adjuster for adjusting the optical path length of the first and second beam path parts and the first and the second adjustment means adjusting the path length for scanning the object in coordination to one another under control by the control unit. | 12-02-2010 |
20110001982 | OPTICAL IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - The present invention relates to an optical imaging apparatus and a method, and more particularly to an optical imaging apparatus and a method with short coherence length optical source. The apparatus comprises an optical source with a plurality of outputs for providing a reference light and a sample light; a sample probe module for leading the sample light to a sample, and leading an information light out; an interference module for leading the reference light to a photo detector, and leading the information light to the photo detector; and a signal processing unit electrically coupled to the photo detector; wherein the reference light and the information light are superimposed on the photo detector, an interference light pattern is detected by the photo detector, and a signal that represents the interference light pattern is transmitted to said signal processing unit for analyzing the spatial information of the sample. | 01-06-2011 |
20110007321 | SPECTRAL DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - An optical coherence tomography device is disclosed for improved imaging. Reduced levels of speckle in the images generated by the device are obtained by forming a B-scan from a plurality of A-scans, wherein each resolution cell of the B-scan is generated through compounding of a subset of the A-scans and wherein at least some of the subset of A-scans are separated by at least half the diameter of a speckle cell both tangent to and orthogonal to the B-scan at that cell. | 01-13-2011 |
20110058178 | ARRANGEMENTS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING MULTIMODALITY MICROSCOPIC IMAGING OF ONE OR MORE BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES - Method and apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be provided. For example, first data associated with a first signal received from at least one region of at least one sample can be provided based on a first modality, and second data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample can be provided based on a second modality which is different from the first modality. Third data associated with a reference can be received. Further data can be generated based on the first, second and third data. In addition, third data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample can be obtained. Each of the third data can be based on a further modality which is different from the first modality and the second modality, and the further data can be further determined based on the third data. Further, the first modality can be a spectral-encoded modality, and the second modality can be a non-spectral-encoding modality. | 03-10-2011 |
20110063620 | OPTICAL SET FOR EXAMINING OF OBJECTS AND METHOD FOR EXAMINING OF OBJECTS USING OPTICAL DEVICES - In an optical set for examining of objects comprising at least a slit lamp ( | 03-17-2011 |
20110080591 | Integrated Dual Swept Source for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system comprising: a first swept source that generates a first optical signal that is tuned over a first spectral scan band, a second swept source that generates a second optical signal that is tuned over a second spectral scan band, a combiner for combining the first optical signal and the second optical signal for form a combined optical signal, an interferometer for dividing the combined optical signal between a reference arm leading to a reference reflector and a sample arm leading to a sample, and a detector system for detecting an interference signal generated from the combined optical signal from the reference arm and from the sample arm. | 04-07-2011 |
20110090509 | SPECTRAL OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS WITH ATTACHMENT - In the apparatus for examination of objects by means of optical tomography with the attachment comprising the device generating the light beam, the device splitting the light beam into at least one reference beam and at least one object beam directed through the lens to the examined object, the device generating the resultant beam from at least one reference beam and at least one object beam scattered by the object and returning from the object through the lens, the device for spectral analysis of the resultant beam and the attachment being an additional optical system ( | 04-21-2011 |
20110096333 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE GENERATION METHOD AND OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE GENERATION APPARATUS - Provided is a method for easily improving image quality in an optical tomographic imaging apparatus. An optical tomographic image generation method of generating a tomographic image of an object includes: acquiring a signal; performing Fourier transform; and obtaining the tomographic image. The optical tomographic image generation method further includes one of the steps of combining a plurality of the signals acquired within a predetermined time and combining a plurality of the signals acquired within a predetermined time after performed the Fourier transform thereon. | 04-28-2011 |
20110102802 | Systems for Comprehensive Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FDOCT) and Related Methods - Optical coherence tomography systems for imaging a whole eye are provided including a sample arm including focal optics that are configured to rapidly switch between at least two scanning modes in less than about 1.0 second. | 05-05-2011 |
20110134433 | LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A light source apparatus includes an optical resonator provided with a plurality of gain media that amplify light and an optical waveguide and a control unit configured to individually control amplification factors of the plurality of gain media, in which the plurality of gain media have mutually different maximum gain wavelengths whose amplification regions are mutually partially overlapped, and a wavelength at which a total gain by the plurality of gain media becomes a maximum value is set to be variable on the basis of the control on the amplification factors. | 06-09-2011 |
20110149296 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL IMAGING VIA SPECTRAL ENCODING - Exemplary method, apparatus and arrangement can be provided for obtaining information associated with a sample such as a portion of an anatomical structure. The information can be generated using first data, which can be based on a signal obtained from a location on the sample, and second data, where the second data can be obtained by combining a second signal received from the sample with a third reference signal. An image of a portion of the sample can also be generated based on the information. For example, the first data can be associated with spectral encoding microscopy data, and the second data can be associated with optical coherence tomography data. | 06-23-2011 |
20110157597 | SWEPT SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY (SS-OCT) SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING OPTICAL IMAGING DATA - A method for processing optical imaging data is provided. The method includes performing a phase error calibration procedure, performing a data acquisition procedure, and performing an imaging computation & analysis procedure. A reference clock signal and an A-scan signal are both received by a data acquisition unit during the phase error calibration procedure while only the A-scan signal is received by the data acquisition unit during the data acquisition procedure. A SS-OCT system for performing the above-mentioned method is provided also. Furthermore, a SS-OCT system having synchronization processing unit therein is provided. | 06-30-2011 |
20110164255 | Rotation Optical Fiber Unit and Optical Coherence Tomography Image Forming Apparatus - Provided is a rotary optical fiber unit which can achieve a high coupling efficiency at a low cost and can easily be recovered even when a coupling unit has failed. Provided is also an optical coherence tomographic image forming apparatus using the rotary optical fiber units. A first optical fiber FB | 07-07-2011 |
20110170110 | WAVELENGTH-TUNABLE LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS - A wavelength-tunable light source apparatus includes a first light source apparatus and a second light source apparatus. The first light source apparatus is capable of changing an oscillation wavelength and includes a resonator. The resonator includes an optical amplification medium for amplifying light and a waveguide having wavelength distribution. The second light source apparatus is connected to the waveguide and configured to introduce pulsed light as modulation light to the first light source apparatus. The oscillation wavelength is controlled by active mode locking employing cross-gain modulation using the modulation light. The pulse width of the modulation light has a duration shorter than a duration of a half period of a driving signal for generating the modulation light. | 07-14-2011 |
20110170111 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY (OCT) APPARATUS, METHODS, AND APPLICATIONS - A free-space Michelson Interferometer-based Dual Detection Frequency Domain-Optical Coherency Tomography (DD-FD-OCT) apparatus includes a non-polarizing beam splitter that can be used to misalign sample and reference beam paths to provide a stable π/2 phase shift between simultaneously detected interfering sample and reference beams to eliminate the mirror image created by Fourier transformation during image reconstruction. A hybrid fiber system Mach Zehnder Interferometer- and free-space Michelson Interferometer-based Dual Detection Frequency Domain-Doppler Optical Coherency Tomography (DD-FD-DOCT) apparatus provides higher power efficiency and thus better sensitivity compared to the free-space DD-FD-OCT. Both DD-FD-OCT systems enable functional imaging with the contrasts of Doppler and that of polarization, in addition to full range images simultaneously. | 07-14-2011 |
20110176142 | Optical Coherence Tomography Methods and Systems - Frequency domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) systems and methods are provided. Thereby, a first measurement and a second measurement is performed, wherein in the first measurement an object region is illuminated by measuring light having a spectrum with a first spectral width and in the second measurement the object region is illuminated with measuring light having a spectrum with a second spectral width, wherein the first spectral width is at least 10% greater than the second spectral width. Further, during the first measurement intensities of spectral ranges of light having interacted with the object and being superimposed with reference light are detected, wherein a width of these spectral ranges is greater than a corresponding width during the second measurement. Thus, switching an axial field of view of structural information of the object across a depth direction is enabled upon minimizing radiation damage at the object. | 07-21-2011 |
20110181888 | HIGH RESOLUTION EXTENDED DEPTH OF FIELD OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - An optical coherence tomography (OCT) imager comprising: a low coherence light source that provides light; a photosensor for imaging light; optics that directs a first portion of the light along a first optical path so that it is imaged on the photosensor and a second portion of the light along a second optical path so that it is reflected by material in the target to the photosensor where it is imaged to interfere with light from the first portion to form an interference pattern; and a mask through which light from at least one of the first and second portions of light passes that generates a relative phase perturbation between portions of light that passes through it. | 07-28-2011 |
20110216325 | Methods and Apparatus for Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography - In one embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in a laser ring is chosen to provide low polarization-dependent gain (PDG) and a booster semiconductor optical amplifier, outside of the ring, is chosen to provide high polarization-dependent gain. The use of a semiconductor optical amplifier with low polarization-dependent gain nearly eliminates variations in the polarization state of the light at the output of the laser, but does not eliminate the intra-sweep variations in the polarization state at the output of the laser, which can degrade the performance of the SS-OCT system. | 09-08-2011 |
20110228280 | Intensity Noise Reduction Methods and Apparatus for Interferometric Sensing and Imaging Systems - In part, aspects of the invention relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for intensity and/or pattern line noise reduction in a data collection system such as an optical coherence tomography system that uses an electromagnetic radiation source and interferometric principles. In one embodiment, the noise is intensity noise or line pattern noise and the source is a laser such as a swept laser. One or more attenuators responsive to one or more control signals can be used in conjunction with an analog or digital feedback network in one embodiment. | 09-22-2011 |
20110235048 | APPARATUS FOR LOW COHERENCE OPTICAL IMAGING - The present invention relates to an apparatus for low coherence optical imaging, and more particularly to an apparatus for low coherence optical imaging which can obtain the information of the different depths of a sample simultaneously. The apparatus comprises a phase transformation unit or a beam shift unit. The phase transformation unit or beam shift unit transforms and reflects the reference light, such that the reflected reference light comprises different phases at the different positions of a cross-section. When the reference light and a information light from the sample are superimposed on a photo detector, the information of the different depths of the sample is obtained. By using the apparatus of the present invention, the elements, the volume, and the cost of the apparatus are reduced. Because of only two-dimensional scanning is required, the scanning rate is improved. | 09-29-2011 |
20110255095 | Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging System and Method - An optical imaging system includes an optical radiation source ( | 10-20-2011 |
20110261366 | SYSTEMS, METHODS AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM WHICH PROVIDE MICROSCOPIC IMAGES OF AT LEAST ONE ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE AT A PARTICULAR RESOLUTION - Exemplary embodiments of systems and methods can be provided which can generate data associated with at least one portion of a sample. For example, at least one first radiation can be forwarded to the portion through at least one optical arrangement. At least one second radiation can be received from the portion which is based on the first radiation. Based on an interaction between the optical arrangement and the first radiation and/or the second radiation, the optical arrangement can have a first transfer function. Further, it is possible to forward at least one third radiation to the portion through such optical arrangement (or through another optical arrangement), and receive at least one fourth radiation from the portion which is based on the third radiation. Based on an interaction between the optical arrangement (or the other optical arrangement) and the third radiation and/or the fourth radiation, the optical arrangement (or the other optical arrangement) can have a second transfer function. The first transfer function can be at least partially different from the second transfer function. The data can be generated based on the second and fourth radiations. | 10-27-2011 |
20110261367 | Integrated Confocal and Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Microscope - Confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) are two components combined in a system using the same optical train that have significant potential applications, such as for real-time in situ view of tissue in a clinical setting. Preferably the two methods employ wavelength ranges that are different, and more preferably non-overlapping, allowing rapid switching between the two imaging techniques. The system illuminates multiple points of a sample and provides outputs indicative of sample properties at the multiple points simultaneously for confocal microscopy and OCT. When used in an endoscope, an optical fiber bundle inserted in an animal body is used to transmit light from the system to tissue and collect return light and deliver the return light for confocal microscopy and OCT imaging. | 10-27-2011 |
20110273721 | Novel compact, affordable optical test, measurement or imaging device - The system disclosed is for optical coherence tomography (OCT). The system includes an improved interferometric system for metrology, detection, ranging as well as imaging system based on optical coherence tomography (OCT). Further, the method provides advancements in detection, imaging of samples in biological, medical, ophthalmic, corneal and retinal diagnosis. | 11-10-2011 |
20110279821 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY WITH MULTIPLE SAMPLE ARMS - A multiplexed OCT imaging system includes a plurality of sample arms, an imaging engine, and an optical controller. The sample arms are optically coupled to the imaging engine via the optical controller; the optical controller multiplexes optical signals from the sample arms to permit some of the sample arms to operate sequentially or simultaneously. | 11-17-2011 |
20110292399 | Discrete Spectrum Broadband Optical Source - A new broadband source having a discrete set of spectral emission lines having high peak power in each line is provided by placing a gain medium in a reflective cavity comprising reflective front and back surfaces. A cavity feedback factor less than unity is achieved by providing reflectivity of one surface substantially lower than the reflectivity of the other surface such that spontaneous emission in the gain medium is linearly amplified just below the lasing threshold. In an alternative arrangement, a movable external back surface placed at a prescribed distance from the gain medium provides a means to achieve a free spectral range and finesse of the emission lines to match a pitch of a detector array in a SD-OCT system. By simultaneously providing high power to each detector element of the array, sensitivity and imaging speed of SD-OCT system are significantly improved. | 12-01-2011 |
20110292400 | APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, METHODS AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM FOR SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES - According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, apparatus and method can be provided for generating information for at least one structure. For example, using at least one first arrangement, it is possible to receive at least one first radiation from the at least one structure and at least one second radiation from a reference, and interfere the first and second radiations to generate at least one third radiation. Further, with at least one second arrangement, it is possible to generate spectroscopic data as a function of the at least one third radiation, and reduce at least one scattering effect in the spectroscopic data to generate the information. In addition or as an alternative, according to a further exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to classify a type of the structure based on the spectroscopic data to generate the information. | 12-01-2011 |
20110304853 | WAVELENGTH SWEEPING LIGHT SOURCE AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A light source apparatus includes a laser oscillator equipped with a first optical resonator, a plurality of second optical resonators including input portions respectively connected in parallel to the first optical resonator, a plurality of light extraction units configured to extract a light beam from an output portion of each second optical resonator, and a light multiplexing unit configured to multiplex the light beam extracted from each light extraction unit, wherein the light source apparatus causes the light multiplexing unit to output a multiplexed light beam passed through the plurality of second optical resonators, an optical member having refractive index dispersion and an optical amplification medium are disposed in each of the plurality of second optical resonators, and the optical amplification media of the plurality of second optical resonators are different from each other in maximum gain wavelength. | 12-15-2011 |
20110310395 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY CONFOCAL IMAGING APPARATUS - A 3D OCT confocal imaging apparatus includes a light source module for providing an illumination beam with wider bandwidth from a crystal fiber; a reference source module; a pickup module; a beam splitter; an optical filter; and a sensor module. When the illumination beam illuminates a sample, a pickup objective lens and a piezoelectric actuator of the pickup module together provide an image beam scanning the sample in depth direction. The image beam and a reference beam from the reference source module together form an interference image beam, which is converted by a photosensor into a coherence image electric signal. Meanwhile, the interference image beam passes through a pinhole to form a confocal image, which is converted by an excited light photometer into a confocal image electric signal. With an image processing system, a 3D OCT confocal microscopic image of the sample can be produced from these image electric signals. | 12-22-2011 |
20110317167 | APPARATUS FOR MEASURING A FREQUENCY-DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY POWER SPECTRUM FROM A SAMPLE - An apparatus is provided for measuring a frequency-domain optical coherence tomography power spectrum from a sample. The apparatus includes a partially reflective element configured to be optically coupled to a light source and to the sample. A first portion of light from the light source is configured to be reflected by the partially reflective element. A second portion of light from the light source is configured to propagate through the partially reflective element, to impinge the sample, and to reflect from the sample. The apparatus is configured to receive the first and second portions of light and to measure the frequency-domain optical coherence tomography power spectrum in response to the first portion of light and the second portion of light. | 12-29-2011 |
20120008146 | Systems, Methods and Computer-Accessible Medium Which Provide Microscopic Images of at Least One Anatomical Structure at a Particular Resolution - Exemplary embodiments of apparatus, systems and methods can be provided for providing at least one electro-magnetic radiation to at least one sample. For example, a plurality of wave-guiding arrangements can be provided which are configured to (i) provide the electro-magnetic radiation(s), and (ii) at a point of emission of each of the wave guiding arrangements, cause a phase of each of the electro-magnetic radiation(s) to have a predetermined value. The exemplary apparatus can be part of a probe. Further the exemplary apparatus can include an interferometric arrangement provided in communication with the probe and/or be part of the probe. | 01-12-2012 |
20120013913 | FIBER-BASED INTERFEROMETRIC DEVICE FOR MEASURING AXIAL DIMENSIONS OF A HUMAN EYE - An apparatus for measuring a layered object comprising a low coherence light source, a coherent light source, and an interferometer including a reference arm and a measurement arm. The reference arm is comprised of a first section of polarization maintaining optical fiber engaged with a first fiber stretcher. The measurement arm is comprised of a second section of polarization maintaining optical fiber engaged with a second fiber stretcher. The first and second fiber stretchers are driven so as to alternatingly vary the lengths of the first section of polarization maintaining optical fiber and the second section of polarization maintaining optical fiber, thereby causing interference signals with the low coherence light when the length of the reference arm is equal to the length of the measurement arm including the distance from the second section of polarization maintaining optical fiber to any of the surfaces of the layers of the object. | 01-19-2012 |
20120013914 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR UNIFORM FREQUENCY SAMPLE CLOCKING - A method and a system for Uniform Frequency Sample Clocking to directly sample the OCT signal with a temporally-non-linear sampling clock derived from a k-space wavemeter on the external sample clock input port of a digitizer. | 01-19-2012 |
20120013915 | OPTICAL IMAGE MEASUREMENT DEVICE - An optical image measurement device comprises: a light amount adjustment part that adjusts the light amount of a laser beam generated by a low coherence light source | 01-19-2012 |
20120026504 | LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH SAME - A light source apparatus includes an optical resonator formed by an optical amplification medium and an optical switch. The optical switch includes a saturable absorber and changes its transmittance or reflectance when receiving an optical pulse emitted from a light irradiation source which includes a wavelength-tunable light source. The light source apparatus emits amplified light from the optical resonator in correspondence with the center wavelength of the optical pulse from the wavelength-tunable light source. The relationship between a length L and an effective refractive index n of the optical resonator and a repetition frequency f of the optical pulse satisfies a condition L(nL)/c. | 02-02-2012 |
20120026505 | Swept Frequency Laser for FD OCT with Intracavity Element and Method of Operation - A frequency swept laser source that generates an optical signal that is tuned over a spectral scan band at single discrete wavelengths associated with longitudinal modes of the swept laser source. Laser hopping over discrete single cavity modes allows long laser coherence length even under dynamic very high speed tuning conditions. A ramp drive to the laser is used to linearize laser frequency tuning. A beam splitter is used to divide the optical signal between a reference arm leading to a reference reflector and a sample arm leading to a sample. A detector system detects the optical signal from the reference arm and the sample arm for generating depth profiles and images of the sample. | 02-02-2012 |
20120033227 | Compact Multimodality Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging Systems and Related Methods and Computer Program Products - Systems for imaging a sample are provided. The system includes an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging portion having an associated OCT path defined by one set of optical elements between an OCT signal delivery optical fiber and the sample; an image capture portion having an associated image capture path defined by a second set of optical elements between an image capture device and the sample, different from the OCT path; and an illuminator portion having an associated illumination path defined by a third set of optical elements between an illumination source and the sample. The OCT path, the image capture path, and the illuminator path have at least one optical element in common, and the respective paths differ from each other by at least one optical element. The OCT path and the image capture path share a common intermediate conjugate image plane. Focal control is achieved for the OCT path and the image capture path concurrently through adjustment of one or more common optical elements distal to the common intermediate conjugate plane, such that focal control requires no differential adjustment between optical elements not in common to both paths. | 02-09-2012 |
20120044499 | IMAGE ACQUISITION APPARATUS, IMAGE ACQUISITION SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - An OCT apparatus that photographs with a plurality of measuring beams concurrently has a mechanism for adjusting the optical path length of a reference beam for each measuring beam. Accordingly, when tomographic images photographed in this manner are displayed side by side, because the depth of photographing varies from one tomographic image to another, it is difficult for an operator to comprehend the positional relation between the photographed images. In displaying tomographic images acquired with a plurality of measuring beams, the display position of each tomographic image is adjusted based on the changed optical path length of a reference beam of the measuring beam used for the image. The tomographic images are thus aligned in height and are presented in a manner that is easy for the operator to comprehend the positional relation between the photographed images. | 02-23-2012 |
20120057168 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - The present invention relates to an imaging device including a reducing section configured to reduce superimposition of first and second combined lights upon each other. The first and second combined lights are based on first and second measuring lights that illuminate an examination object. The imaging device according to the present invention also includes an obtaining section configured to obtain an optical coherence tomographic image of the examination object based on the first and second combined lights whose superimposition has been reduced at the reducing section. A sensor having a minimum number of pixels is provided by restricting crosstalk between interference lights at the sensor. | 03-08-2012 |
20120062901 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - The present invention relates to a structure in which a sensor includes a first area and a second area upon which dispersed first and second lights are focused. The first and second areas are disposed in a dispersion direction or a direction perpendicular to the dispersion direction. A distance between the first and second areas is adjusted by using a distance between a plurality of fiber ends from which a plurality of combined lights exit and an optical magnification at a detecting section. | 03-15-2012 |
20120069348 | Optical Connector and Optical Tomograph - Provided are an optical connector and an optical tomographic imaging apparatus, by which no noise occurs and a high quality image without a distortion can be obtained. In the optical connector, optical fibers are inserted into a lumen of a tube from opposite ends thereof; one of the optical fibers is fixed to the tube and the other optical fiber is held so as to be rotatable relative to the tube; an end of one of the optical fibers is separated from an end of the other optical fiber to form a gap therebetween in the lumen; a connecting section which connects the exterior space of the tube and the gap is formed; and a liquid or fluid made of a material which can transmit light is held in the exterior space, the gap, and the connecting section. Consequently, a significant pressure variation in matching liquid does not occur if the distance between the facing optical fibers changes | 03-22-2012 |
20120075638 | SEGMENTATION AND QUANTIFICATION FOR INTRAVASCULAR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES - A system and related methods for automatic or semi-automatic segmentation and quantification of blood vessel structure and physiology, including segmentation and quantification of lumen, guide wire, vessel wall, calcified plaques, fibrous caps, macrophages, metallic and bioresorbable stents are described, and including visualization of results. Calcified plaque segmentation can be used to estimate the distribution of superficial calcification and inform strategies stenting. Volumetric segmentation and quantification of fibrous caps can provide more comprehensive information of the mechanisms behind plaque rupture. Quantification of macrophages can aid diagnosis and prediction of unstable plaque and associated acute coronary events. Automated detection and quantification of metallic and bioresorbable stents can greatly reduce the analysis time and facilitate timely decision making for intervention procedures. | 03-29-2012 |
20120075639 | IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS INCORPORATING NON-MECHANICAL SCANNING BEAM ACTUATION - In various embodiments, optical-imaging systems incorporate non-mechanical beam-actuation systems to facilitate the acquisition of, e.g., two- and three-dimensional images. | 03-29-2012 |
20120086948 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED AXIAL CONTRAST AND REFERENCE MIRROR HAVING MULTIPLE PLANES FOR THE SAME - In the OCT apparatus, the reference mirror is a mirror having a multi-layer structure having at least two planes and includes a first plane and at least one second plane having a height difference corresponding to ¼ length of a central wavelength of the light source or an odd multiple of ¼ length with respect to the first plane such that beams reflected by the planes have a phase shift corresponding to a half wavelength or an odd multiple of the half wavelength. Since a bandwidth of a light source is not increased, large broadband performance of optical parts is not required and neither is dispersion compensation of the path in each coherence arm. Therefore, the OCT apparatus using the reference mirror can be applied in industries that require various precise thick film techniques through the tomography image having the remarkably enhanced contrast in the depth direction. | 04-12-2012 |
20120092677 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP METHOD USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - The present invention relates to an apparatus having a simple configuration capable of correctly detecting malfunction of an OCT apparatus by detecting the states of a light source and a sensor. | 04-19-2012 |
20120099112 | Multi-core low reflection lateral output fiber probe - Multi-core optical fiber probe includes a multi-core optical fiber (and method of manufacturing the probe) including a plurality of cores adjacent a cladding material, and a plurality of angled reflectors disposed at a distal end of the cores. An angled reflector of the plurality of angled reflectors deflects light propagating in the core at a deflection angle that is different from an axis of light propagation in the core. Light propagating toward a distal end of the core of the multi-core probe is emitted, after reflection by the corresponding reflector, out of the multi-core optical fiber probe. | 04-26-2012 |
20120105861 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING OPTICAL PATH LENGTHS - The present invention relates to a method for determining optical path length differences and for optical coherence tomography, having the steps of: generating spatially coherent light by a light source (SQ, BQ) emitting a spatial monomode, or the emission thereof being limited to a single spatial mode by suitable means (F); dividing at least a part of the light coming from said light source into two spatially separated paths; placing a sample (P) to be measured in the measurement path; using as at least two detectors (D) or one detector (D, A) having at least two detector elements (D) and further means (S, T, BP, F, Q, L, G, Z) for guiding beams, said means bringing light from a reference path and a measurement path together to the detectors/detector elements (D) and bringing said light to interference; receiving and analyzing the light intensities at the detectors/detector elements (D) in order to obtain a data set; and numerically analyzing and displaying the data set such that conclusions are possible about both the spatial position and the strength of the reflection or scattering of the sample (P) or structures within the sample (P). | 05-03-2012 |
20120120406 | OPTICAL APPARATUS AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - An optical apparatus is disclosed. The optical apparatus includes an optical scanning module and a rotation axis module. The optical scanning module is used to provide an optical signal for optical tomography. The rotation axis module and the optical scanning module are integrated. When the rotation axis module rotates, the rotation axis module makes the optical scanning module to perform a rotation scanning process to an object. | 05-17-2012 |
20120120407 | Optical Coherence Tomography System And Method - A method of analysis of a sample, including the steps of: (a) splitting an input optical beam into a probe beam and reference beam; (b) utilizing the probe beam to interrogate a sample and obtaining a return sample beam there from; (c) manipulating the reference beam into a predetermined polarization state; (d) mixing the return sample beam and reference beam producing a series of mixed beams; and (e) analyzing the polarization components of the series of mixed beams. | 05-17-2012 |
20120120408 | TWO-BEAM OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS - The scanning speed of a sample in Doppler OCT, etc., is increased to enable quick measurement of blood flow rate, blood flow volume, etc. Wideband light from a light source | 05-17-2012 |
20120127475 | APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR LOW-COHERENCE INTERFEROMETRY (LCI) - Low-coherence interferometry (LCI) techniques enable acquisition of structural and depth information of a sample. A “swept-source” (SS) light source may be used. The swept-source light source can be used to generate a reference signal and a signal directed towards a sample. Light scattered from the sample is returned as a result and mixed with the reference signal to achieve interference and thus provide structural information regarding the sample. Depth information about the sample can be obtained using Fourier domain concepts as well as time domain techniques. In another embodiment, an a/LCI system and method is provided that is based on a time domain system and employs a broadband light source. The systems and processes disclosed herein can be used for biomedical applications, included measuring cellular morphology in tissues and in vitro, as well as diagnosing intraepithelial neoplasia, and assessing the efficacy of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. | 05-24-2012 |
20120133950 | TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING METHOD AND TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS - Provided is a tomographic imaging method, which acquires tomographic images of an object to be inspected, based on combined beams respectively acquired by combining reference beams and return beams acquired by irradiating the object to be inspected with a plurality of measuring beams. The tomographic imaging method includes a first step of acquiring the respective combined beams by reflecting information regarding the plurality of measuring beams which is stored in advance and irradiating the object to be inspected with the plurality of measuring beams, and a second step of generating the tomographic images based on the respective combined beams. | 05-31-2012 |
20120140238 | SPECTRAL DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - An optical coherence tomography device is disclosed for improved imaging. Reduced levels of speckle in the images generated by the device are obtained by forming a B-scan from a plurality of A-scans, wherein each resolution cell of the B-scan is generated through compounding of a subset of the A-scans and wherein at least some of the subset of A-scans are separated by at least half the diameter of a speckle cell both tangent to and orthogonal to the B-scan at that cell. | 06-07-2012 |
20120162659 | Integrated Dual Swept Source for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system comprising: a first swept source that generates a first optical signal that is tuned over a first spectral scan band, a second swept source that generates a second optical signal that is tuned over a second spectral scan band, a combiner for combining the first optical signal and the second optical signal for form a combined optical signal, an interferometer for dividing the combined optical signal between a reference arm leading to a reference reflector and a sample arm leading to a sample, and a detector system for detecting an interference signal generated from the combined optical signal from the reference arm and from the sample arm. In embodiments, the swept sources are tunable lasers that have shared laser cavities. | 06-28-2012 |
20120162660 | AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF USE - The disclosed automatic calibration systems and methods provide a repeatable way to detect internal catheter reflections and to shift the internal catheter reflections to calibrate an image. | 06-28-2012 |
20120170046 | Integrated Optical Coherence Tomography System - An optical detector system comprises a hermetic optoelectronic package, an optical bench installed within the optoelectronic package, a balanced detector system installed on the optical bench. The balanced detector system includes at least two optical detectors that receive interference signals. An electronic amplifier system installed within the optoelectronic package amplifies an output of at least two optical detectors. Also disclosed is an integrated optical coherence tomography system. Embodiments are provided in which the amplifiers, typically transimpedance amplifiers, are closely integrated with the optical detectors that detect the interference signals from the interferometer. Further embodiments are provided in which the interferometer but also preferably its detectors are integrated together on a common optical bench. Systems that have little or no optical fiber can thus be implemented. | 07-05-2012 |
20120188554 | LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A light source device includes an optical resonator that includes an optical gain medium amplifying light and an optical waveguide having wavelength dispersion of a refractive index, and an optical modulator that modulates an intensity of the light in the optical resonator. An oscillation wavelength of an optical pulse is varied according to a modulation frequency of the optical modulator. The optical modulator can adjust transmittance of the light passing through the optical modulator, and a duty ratio of a transmission time of the light passing through the optical modulator is less than 50%. | 07-26-2012 |
20120188555 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPLEX CONJUGATE ARTIFACT RESOLVED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - Systems and methods are disclosed for optical coherence tomography (OCT). For example, imaging can use optical phase modulators based on optical delay lines that, in conjunction with a swept-source laser, can be used to achieve heterodyne swept source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT). These techniques resolve the complex conjugate ambiguity in SSOCT, thereby doubling the usable imaging range. This increased imaging range has numerous important clinical applications in ophthalmology, cardiology and radiology, as well as applications in small animal and non-biological imaging. These methods are superior to prior disclosed methods requiring acousto-optic or electro-optic modulators with respect to complexity, efficiency, imaging speed and image quality. | 07-26-2012 |
20120194823 | Spectral Phase Analysis For Precision Ranging - Interferometric path length measurements using frequency-domain interferometry form the basis of several measurement techniques, including optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and lidar. A phase-sensitive and self-referenced approach to frequency-domain interferometry yields absolute and relative path length measurements with axial precision orders of magnitude better than the transform-limited axial resolution of the system. | 08-02-2012 |
20120200859 | FREQUENCY-DOMAIN OCT - A device for establishing geometric values at least from a first region (MB | 08-09-2012 |
20120218557 | IMAGE FORMING METHOD AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPH APPARATUS USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - An image forming method uses an optical coherence tomography as to an optical axis direction of plural pieces of image information of an object. First image information of an object is obtained at a first focus with respect to an optical axis direction to then object. A focusing position is changed by dynamic focusing from the first focus to a second focus along the optical axis. The second image information of the object is obtained at the second focus. A third image information, tomography image information of the object and including a tomography image of the first focus or the second focus, is obtained by Fourier domain optical coherence tomography. A tomography image or a three-dimensional image of the object is formed in positional relation, in the optical axis direction, between the first image information and the second image information using the third image information. | 08-30-2012 |
20120218558 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY - An optical imaging device which receives an optical collimated input beam, the device having a pair of axicon lenses through which a beam is directed to generate a collimated ring beam, wherein the ring beam is scattered from a substance to generate a return beam, and to bypass a reflector that redirects the return beam to prevent the return beam from interfering with the input beam; and a detector which detects an image projected by the return beam. | 08-30-2012 |
20120229813 | WAVELENGTH DETECTOR AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY HAVING THE SAME - In a wavelength detector and an OCT including the same, the wavelength detector includes a wavelength filter by which at least one of the diffraction beams of a coherent input light is selected as a selection beam having a desired frequency by using a flat plate and at least a slit penetrating through the flat plate. The pixel having image data of an OCT image is mapped to the frequency of the selection beam by one to one, thereby improving uniformity of the resolution of the OCT image along a depth of the inspection object. The frequency of the selection beam is determined by an optical spectrum analyzer before initiating the OCT inspection to the object. | 09-13-2012 |
20120236314 | BROADBAND GENERATION OF MID IR, COHERENT CONTINUA WITH OPTICAL FIBERS - Coherent and compact supercontinuum light sources for the mid IR spectral regime are disclosed and exemplary applications thereof. The supercontinuum generation is based on the use of highly nonlinear fibers or waveguides. In at least one embodiment the coherence of the supercontinuum sources is increased using low noise mode locked short pulse sources. Compact supercontinuum light sources can be constructed with the use of passively mode locked fiber or diode lasers. Wavelength tunable sources can be constructed using appropriate optical filters or frequency conversion sections. Highly coherent supercontinuum sources further facilitate coherent detection schemes and can improve the signal/noise ratio in lock in detection schemes. | 09-20-2012 |
20120257210 | Method and System for Avoiding Package Induced Failure in Swept Semiconductor Source - Dry oxygen, dry air, or other gases such as ozone are hermetically sealed within the package of the external cavity laser or ASE swept source to avoid packaging-induced failure or PIF. PIF due to hydrocarbon breakdown at optical interfaces with high power densities is believed to occur at the SLED and/or SOA facets as well as the tunable Fabry-Perot reflector/filter elements and/or output fiber. Because the laser is an external cavity tunable laser and the configuration of the ASE swept sources, the power output can be low while the internal power at surfaces can be high leading to PIF at output powers much lower than the 50 mW. | 10-11-2012 |
20120257211 | OPTICAL IMAGE MEASUREMENT APPARATUS - A main controller | 10-11-2012 |
20120257212 | OPTICAL IMAGE MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND OPTICAL ATTENUATOR - A cam face | 10-11-2012 |
20120262722 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY USING MULTIPLE BEAMS - An apparatus and method for optical coherence tomography are provided. The apparatus includes a light source configured to generate a plurality of beams, a light coupler configured to split the plurality of beams into measurement beams and reference beams, transmit the measurement beams to a target object via a probe, and receive response beams from the probe, a detector configured to detect interference signals based on interference between the response beams and the reference beams, and an image processor configured to generate a first image of the target object based on any one of the interference signals and generate a second image of the target object having image characteristics different from those of the first image based on an other one of the interference signals. | 10-18-2012 |
20120281235 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS - An optical tomographic image photographing apparatus includes: an OCT optical system for capturing tomographic images of an object to be examined, the OCT optical system including a light source, a splitter for splitting a light from the light source into a measurement optical path and a reference optical path, an optical scanner , and a detector for detecting a spectrum of light obtained by combining the light of the measurement optical path reflected from the object and the light from the reference optical path; a drive unit to move at least a part of optical components of the OCT optical system in an optical axial direction; a monitor to output at least the tomographic image; and a display controller for displaying the tomographic image and identifying information used to determine whether the tomographic image output to the monitor is a normal image or a reverse image. | 11-08-2012 |
20120281236 | FOUR-DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING AND GUIDANCE SYSTEM - A four-dimensional optical coherence tomography imagining and guidance system includes an optical coherence tomography system, a data processing system adapted to communicate with the optical coherence tomography system, and a display system adapted to communicate with the data processing system. The optical coherence tomography system is configured to provide data corresponding to a plurality of volume frames per second. The data processing system is configured to receive and process the data and provide three-dimensional image data to the display system such that the display system displays a rendered real-time three-dimensional image. | 11-08-2012 |
20120281237 | SPECKLE REDUCTION IN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY BY PATH LENGTH ENCODED ANGULAR COMPOUNDING - Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of an apparatus probe catheter and method can be provided for irradiating a structure. In particular, an interferometer may forward forwarding an electromagnetic radiation. In addition, a sample arm may receive the electromagnetic radiation, and can include an arrangement which facilitates a production of at least two radiations from the electromagnetic radiation so as to irradiate the structure. Such exemplary arrangement can be configured to delay a first radiation of the at least two radiations with respect to a second radiation of the at least two radiations. | 11-08-2012 |
20120287440 | OCT DEVICE - A photodetector of an OCT device is provided with: a silicon substrate comprised of a semiconductor of a first conductivity type, having a first principal surface and a second principal surface opposed to each other, and having a semiconductor region of a second conductivity type formed on the first principal surface side; and charge transfer electrodes provided on the first principal surface and transferring generated charges. In the silicon substrate, an accumulation layer of the first conductivity type having a higher impurity concentration than the silicon substrate is formed on the second principal surface side, and an irregular asperity is formed in a region opposed to at least the semiconductor region, in the second principal surface. The region in which the irregular asperity is formed on the second principal surface of the silicon substrate is optically exposed. | 11-15-2012 |
20120293807 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS - Provided is an optical tomographic imaging apparatus that is capable of shortening a period of time of focusing at multiple focus positions when images split in a depth direction are obtained by zone focusing. The optical tomographic imaging apparatus includes: a focus position setting device for splitting a zone within a predetermined imaging depth range into multiple focus zones so as to set multiple focus positions; a reference position setting device for setting at least two reference positions in an imaging depth direction within the predetermined imaging depth range; and a focus controlling device for performing control so as to perform focusing at the multiple focus positions sequentially based on focus position information generated by the focus position setting device and a focus condition of in-focus at the at least two reference positions set in advance by the reference position setting device. | 11-22-2012 |
20120300215 | OCT Combining Probes and Integrated Systems - Optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe and system designs are disclosed that minimize the effects of mechanical movement and strain to the probe to the OCT analysis. It also concerns optical designs that are robust against noise from the OCT laser source. Also integrated OCT system-probes are included that yield compact and robust electro-opto-mechanical systems along with polarization sensitive OCT systems. | 11-29-2012 |
20120300216 | Integrated Optical Coherence Analysis System - Optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe and system designs are disclosed that minimize the effects of mechanical movement and strain to the probe to the OCT analysis. It also concerns optical designs that are robust against noise from the OCT laser source. Also integrated OCT system-probes are included that yield compact and robust electro-opto-mechanical systems along with polarization sensitive OCT systems. | 11-29-2012 |
20120300217 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS - Provided is an optical tomographic imaging apparatus including: a unit for creating a measuring beam and a reference beam from beam of a light source, and generating interference light by combining a return beam resulting from the measuring beam and the reference beam; a unit for detecting the interference light to generate a detection signal; a unit for forming an image of the object based on the detection signal; a unit for designating a specific area in the image; a unit for setting a calculation index and a determination reference range used for determining image quality of the specific area; and a unit for applying calculation processing to a luminance value of the specific area based on the calculation index, determining whether a calculated value obtained as a result of the calculation processing is within the determination reference range, and outputting a detection result. | 11-29-2012 |
20120307257 | SWEPT LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME - The present invention provides a light source apparatus capable of producing stable oscillation and performing high-speed wavelength sweeping over a desired wavelength range. | 12-06-2012 |
20120320380 | TEST DEVICE FOR TESTING A BONDING LAYER BETWEEN WAFER-SHAPED SAMPLES AND TEST PROCESS FOR TESTING THE BONDING LAYER - The invention relates to a test device for testing a bonding layer between wafer-shaped samples and a test process for testing the bonding layer. The test device comprises a measuring head for an OCT process that is configured to direct an optical measuring beam at a composite comprising at least two wafer-shaped samples with a bonding layer positioned between them. An optical beam splitter is configured to divert an optical reference beam as a reference arm for distance measurements. An evaluation unit is configured to evaluate layer thickness measurements without a reference arm and distance measurements with a reference arm. An optical switch device is configured to connect and disconnect the reference arm. | 12-20-2012 |
20120327422 | SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL INTEGRATED DEVICE AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL INTEGRATED DEVICE - Provided is a semiconductor optical integrated device, formed by arranging a light emitting element and a light detecting element in a plane of the same substrate, each formed by laminating layers which at least include a first clad layer of a first conductive type, an active layer and a second clad layer of a second conductive type on a substrate, wherein the active layer has a structure where a second active area of a conductive type and an undoped first active area are laminated, and the second active area has the same conductive type as that of the first or second clad layer laminated in the closest position to the second active area. This device suppresses heat generation due to increased operating current and unnecessary light generation at an operation of the light emitting element, and enhancing light absorption efficiency at the an operation of the light emitting element. | 12-27-2012 |
20130003074 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS, OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING METHOD, PROGRAM FOR EXECUTING THE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM HAVING THE PROGRAM STORED THEREON - In order to perform accurate evaluation for enhanced depth imaging (EDI) in which a tomographic image of a retina has a low luminance value in large part, provided is an optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus for acquiring an image of an object to be inspected by irradiating the object to be inspected with measuring light and causing return light from the object to be inspected to interfere with reference light, the optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus including: a unit for setting an imaging parameter of the image; a unit for selecting an image quality evaluation index in accordance with the imaging parameter; a unit for acquiring an image characteristic amount from the acquired image in accordance with the set imaging parameter; and a unit for evaluating image quality of the image based on the image characteristic amount and the image quality evaluation index. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003075 | IMAGING APPARATUS - In order to reduce a width in a scanning direction with respect to an arrangement of measurement lights and to obtain a tomogram with a high SN ratio, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention adjusts an arrangement of a plurality of measurement lights in an object to be examined with respect to a scanning direction of a scanning unit for scanning the object to be examined with the plurality of measurement lights, based on a detection result of a detection unit for detecting the arrangement of the plurality of measurement lights. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003076 | TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPRATUS AND TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING METHOD - A tomographic imaging apparatus includes an irradiation unit configured to irradiate with a plurality of measurement light beams, a sensor configured to convert into an electric signal a plurality of combined light beams via an optical imaging system by making return light beams from an inspection target, which are generated due to the plurality of measurement light beams, interfere with reference light beams, an output unit configured to output light beams of a single wavelength based on a wavelength width of the plurality of measurement light beams, and a generation unit configured to generate a tomographic image from an electric signal acquired by the sensor via the imaging optical system, based on a position of the light beam of the single wavelength on the sensor. | 01-03-2013 |
20130003077 | TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS - A tomographic imaging apparatus configured to acquire a tomographic image or a cross-sectional image of an object to be examined from signals of a plurality of interfering beams obtained by emitting a plurality of measuring beams to the object to be examined and causing return beams of the measuring beams to interfere with reference beams includes a sensor configured to detect the plurality of interfering beams to acquire signals of the plurality of interfering beams, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an optical characteristic in the tomographic imaging apparatus corresponding to each of the plurality of interfering beams, and a generation unit configured to generate a tomographic image or a cross-sectional image of the object to be examined based on the signals of the plurality of interfering beams and the optical characteristic. | 01-03-2013 |
20130010302 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED BALANCED DETECTION IN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING - Systems and methods for reducing noise in balanced detection based optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are described. Embodiments including both optical hardware and electronic based solutions to spectrally filter and attenuate the source reference light in optical coherence tomography in an effort to reduce RIN and FPN noise in OCT systems are presented. A novel application to electronic balanced detection schemes in which a single source of reference detection is balanced against the interferometric signals from multiple interferometers is also presented. | 01-10-2013 |
20130010303 | Imaging Catheter With Integrated Reference Reflector - In part, the invention relates to a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a micro-lens; a beam director in optical communication with the micro-lens; and a substantially transparent film. The substantially transparent film is capable of bi-directionally transmitting light, and generating a controlled amount of backscatter. In addition, the film surrounds a portion of the beam director. | 01-10-2013 |
20130016360 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED RESOLUTION, HIGHER SCAN SPEEDS AND REDUCED PROCESSING TIME IN SCANS INVOLVING SWEPT-WAVELENGTH INTERFEROMETRYAANM Ensher; JasonAACI BroomfieldAAST COAACO USAAGP Ensher; Jason Broomfield CO USAANM Minneman; MichaelAACI BroomfieldAAST COAACO USAAGP Minneman; Michael Broomfield CO USAANM Crawford; MichaelAACI BroomfieldAAST COAACO USAAGP Crawford; Michael Broomfield CO US - A system and method for measuring an interferometric signal from a swept-wavelength interferometer by scanning a tunable laser source over two wavelength ranges, whose centers are separated substantially more than the length of wavelength ranges. The spatial resolution of the measurement is determined by the inverse of the wavelength separation between a first and second wavelength region, as well as by the wavelength range of the first and second regions. An electronically tunable laser may be utilized to produce two wavelength ranges that are widely separated in wavelength. Such a system and method has wide applications to the fields of optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) and swept-wavelength optical coherence tomography (OCT), for example. | 01-17-2013 |
20130027712 | OPTICAL IMAGING METHOD AND OPTICAL IMAGING APPARATUS - An optical imaging method is provided that can realize, at low cost, the extension of the imaging depth range. An optical imaging apparatus | 01-31-2013 |
20130044329 | System and Method for Interlacing Differing Coherence Length Sweeps to Improve OCT Image Quality - A system and method for sweeping electromagnetic radiation over a first coherence length and a second length over a range of wavelengths to generate an image. Electromagnetic radiation having a first coherence length is generated and swept over a range of wavelengths. Electromagnetic radiation having a second coherence length is generated and swept over a range of wavelengths. The electromagnetic radiation is splitting through a reference path and a sample path; Electromagnetic radiation returned from the reference path and the sample path is detected, wherein the detector generates output signals corresponding to the received electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment, the output signals are processed to generate an image. The image may be interleaved with data corresponding to the electromagnetic radiation having the first coherence length and the second coherence length. | 02-21-2013 |
20130044330 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM HAVING REAL-TIME ARTIFACT AND SATURATION CORRECTION - An optical coherence tomography system having real-time artifact and saturation correction includes an optical coherence tomography unit, and a signal processing and display system adapted to communicate with the optical coherence tomography unit to receive imaging signals therefrom. The optical coherence tomography system is a Fourier Domain optical coherence tomography system. The signal processing and display system includes a parallel processor configured to correct the imaging signals, in real time, to at least partially remove image artifacts and saturation based on a subset of image data within an image frame. | 02-21-2013 |
20130057871 | Non-Invasive Method and Apparatus for Screening High-Quality Seeds - Disclosed is a method and apparatus for the non-invasive selection of high-quality seeds, based on optical coherence tomography, by which pathogen-infected and pathogen-free seeds can be discriminated in a non-invasive manner. The apparatus is operated by the processes of scanning a seed of diagnostic interest in a non-invasive manner using an optical coherence tomographic unit; processing interference signals of the scanned tomographic images to produce tomographic image data of the seed of diagnostic interest; analyzing the tomographic image data; comparing the analyzed tomographic image data with preset reference tomographic image data; diagnosing the seed of diagnostic interest as a pathogen-infected or pathogen-free seed according to the comparison data; and selecting high-quality seeds according to the diagnosis data. It can screen high-quality seeds with rapidity, convenience, and accuracy at a low cost and is industrially applicable, making a great contribution to agricultural quarantine inspection. | 03-07-2013 |
20130063727 | LOW COHERENCE ENHANCED BACKSCATTERING TOMOGRAPHY AND TECHNIQUES - A low coherence enhanced backscattering tomography (LEBT) method is disclosed for depth-selective sensing of the superficial layer of tissue. 3D images of the microarchitecture and molecular conformation of the superficial layer of tissue are obtained. The method combines the high resolution advantage of low coherence light and the high sensitivity advantage of light scattering to tissue structure and composition. Intact tissue can be examined without the need of excision or processing. The method can be applied in in situ measurements. According to the method, 3D images of the nuclear morphology and cellular structure for the superficial layer of the tissue are generated; this is particularly useful in detecting cancer and precancer at the earliest stage of carcinogenesis. | 03-14-2013 |
20130070255 | PROBE FOR OPTICAL TOMOGRAPIC IMAGE MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING PROBE - A prism is attached to a refractive index dispersion lens by inclining the incident plane of the prism by a prescribed angle with respect to the end face of the refractive index dispersion lens and filling adhesive therebetween. In this way, the amount of light reflected from the bottom plane of the prism decreases in accordance with the angle of inclination of the incident plane, and the interference signal formed by the reflected light from the bottom plane of the prism, and the reflected light of a reference beam therefore weakens and the image signal decreases. Consequently, distinguishing between the image signal and the image signals produced by reflected light from the measurement subject is facilitated. | 03-21-2013 |
20130088721 | MIRROR IMAGE SUPPRESSION METHOD - A mirror image suppression method adapted to an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system is provided. The mirror image suppression method includes the following steps: obtaining a tomography image of an object to be tested by using the OCT system; calculating one real image signal obtained from an n | 04-11-2013 |
20130100455 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL IMAGING VIA SPECTRAL ENCODING - Exemplary method, apparatus and arrangement can be provided for obtaining information associated with a sample such as a portion of an anatomical structure. The information can be generated using first data, which can be based on a signal obtained from a location on the sample, and second data, where the second data can be obtained by combining a second signal received from the sample with a third reference signal. An image of a portion of the sample can also be generated based on the information. For example, the first data can be associated with spectral encoding microscopy data, and the second data can be associated with optical coherence tomography data. | 04-25-2013 |
20130100456 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SWEPT-SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - Systems and methods for increasing the duty cycle and/or producing interleaved pulses of alternating polarization states in swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are considered. Embodiments including improved buffering, frequency selecting filter sharing among multiple SOAs, intracavity switching, and multiple wavelength bands are described. The unique polarization properties of the source configurations have advantages in speckle reduction, polarization-sensitive measurements, polarization state dependent phase shifts, spatial shifts, and temporal shifts in OCT measurements. | 04-25-2013 |
20130100457 | APPARATUS FOR LOW COHERENCE OPTICAL IMAGING - The present invention relates to an apparatus for low coherence optical imaging, and more particularly to an apparatus for low coherence optical imaging which can obtain the information of the different depths of a sample simultaneously. The apparatus comprises a phase transformation unit or a beam shift unit. The phase transformation unit or beam shift unit transforms and reflects the reference light, such that the reflected reference light comprises different phases at the different positions of a cross-section. When the reference light and a information light from the sample are superimposed on a photo detector, the information of the different depths of the sample is obtained. By using the apparatus of the present invention, the elements, the volume, and the cost of the apparatus are reduced. Because of only two-dimensional scanning is required, the scanning rate is improved. | 04-25-2013 |
20130107273 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY | 05-02-2013 |
20130107274 | OPTICAL IMAGING AND MAPPING USING PROPAGATION MODES OF LIGHT | 05-02-2013 |
20130107275 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION FULL FIELD INTERFERENCE MICROSCOPY | 05-02-2013 |
20130114086 | DEVICE, LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE, AND IMAGING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A device includes a first resonating cavity and a second resonating cavity. The first resonating cavity includes a first end surface and a second end surface. The first resonating cavity has a first free spectral range. The first free spectral range is a first frequency of a wavelength dependent ripple in a gain of the device that is a function of a first distance between the first end surface and the second end surface. The second resonating cavity includes a third end surface and a fourth end surface. A second distance between the third end surface and the fourth end surface is set such that an amplitude of the wavelength dependent ripple is reduced. | 05-09-2013 |
20130120757 | METHODS, SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS OF VARIABLE IMAGING DEPTH IN FOURIER DOMAIN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - Systems, methods and applications for adjusting the imaging depth of a Fourier Domain optical coherence tomography system without impacting the axial resolution of the system are presented. One embodiment of the invention involves changing the sweep rate of a swept-source OCT system while maintaining the same data acquisition rate and spectral bandwidth of the source. Another embodiment involves changing the data acquisition rate of a SS-OCT system while maintaining the same sweep rate over the same spectral bandwidth. Several applications of variable imaging depth in the field of ophthalmic imaging are described. | 05-16-2013 |
20130128277 | ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR INTERFEROMETRY - The invention relates to an arrangement for interferometry, including a light source for generating coherent radiation, a detector and a beam splitter for dividing the radiation generated by the light source. The radiation is divided into a sample arm in which a sample to be examined can be positioned and a reference arm. An optical reference element, which is partially transparent to the radiation, reflects a part of the radiation to the detector and behind which the sample to be examined can be positioned is disposed in the beam path of the sample arm. | 05-23-2013 |
20130135624 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FD-OCT - An information processing apparatus for frequency domain optical coherence tomography comprises an image scanning unit that receives measurement data from an optical coherence tomography device, while moving a measurement point to the next adjacent point at each measurement time by controlling the optical coherence tomography device, and generates depth information based on the measurement data to produce a raw tomographic image. The apparatus includes a noise reduction unit that reduces noise from the raw tomographic image to produce a result tomographic image. The noise reduction unit reduces the noise from the raw tomographic image by subtracting the depth information generated by the image scanning unit at each measurement time from the depth information generated at another measurement time adjacent to said each measurement time. | 05-30-2013 |
20130135625 | COMBINATION OF MIRROR IMAGES TO IMPROVE SIGNAL QUALITY FOR CONTACT LENSES - A method and system to provide for increased signal intensity and improved signal quality in Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) by capturing the real and virtual images of an object being imaged by FDOCT in sequence or consecutively. | 05-30-2013 |
20130135626 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - An optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a light source, a light coupling module, and an optical path difference generating module. The light source emits a coherent light. The light coupling module divides the coherent light into a first incident light and a second incident light. The first incident light is emitted to an item to be inspected and a first reflected light is generated. The second incident light is emitted to the optical path difference generating module, a second reflected light is generated according to the second incident light by the optical path difference generating module through changing the transparent/reflection properties of at least one optical devices of the optical path difference generating module, so that there is a optical path difference between the first reflected light and the second reflected light. | 05-30-2013 |
20130155413 | LOW COHERENCE INTERFEROMETRY WITH SCAN ERROR CORRECTION - A system includes an interference microscope having one or more optical elements arranged to image a test object to an image plane by combining test light from the test object with reference light from a reference object to form an interference pattern at the image plane, wherein the test and reference light are derived from a common broadband light source. The system includes a scanning stage configured to scan an optical path difference (OPD) between the test and reference light, a multi-element detector positioned at the image plane and configured to record the interference pattern for each of a series of OPD increments and to generate multiple interferometry signals each having a fringe carrier frequency indicative of changes in the OPD as the OPD is scanned, where there is phase diversity among the interferometry signals, and an electronic processor coupled to the multi-element detector and scanning stage and configured to process the interference signals based on the phase diversity to determine information about the OPD increments having sensitivity to perturbations to the OPD increments at frequencies greater than the fringe carrier frequency. | 06-20-2013 |
20130163003 | Apparatus and method for optical swept-source coherence tomography - An apparatus for optical swept-source coherence tomography comprises a spectrally tuneable source for emitting coherent light, and a detector for acquiring the intensity of remitted light backscattered from an object irradiated with the coherent light of the source. Further, the apparatus comprises a control device, which is set up to control the light source and the detector in such a way that the detector performs intensity acquisitions in accordance with a defined number of measurements, while the light source is tuned, the control device further being set up, for the purpose of altering the measurement depth or/and the axial resolution of the tomography, to alter the defined number of measurements or/and a spectral measurement bandwidth, within which the detector performs the intensity acquisitions. | 06-27-2013 |
20130169971 | OCT IMAGING SYSTEM FOR CURVED SAMPLES - This patent specification describes an OCT imaging system that implements at least one of the following: (1) adjusting the path length of a reference arm during an OCT scan of a curved sample or between OCT scans; (2) adjusting the focus of a scanning beam as the scanning beam moves across the curved sample during the OCT scan or between OCT scans; (3) adjusting polarization control during the OCT scan or between OCT scans; and/or (4) changing dispersion compensation across the OCT scan or between OCT scans. | 07-04-2013 |
20130169972 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY USING ACTIVE MODE-LOCKING FIBER LASER - Discloses is an optical coherence tomography (OCT) which uses an active mode-locking fiber laser in order to obtain image information of a sample. An imaging device in accordance with an embodiment comprises: a light source unit; a light separation unit; a reference unit; a diagnostic unit; a light coupling unit; and a signal processing unit. The imaging device removes a high-priced variable filter which has mechanical restrictions by directly delivering a modulation signal to a light source unit, so it can overcome mechanical restrictions and reduce costs. | 07-04-2013 |
20130176572 | OPTICAL PROBE AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An optical probe for irradiating light onto a subject includes an optical path control unit configured to receive light from outside the optical probe, and change a path of the light within the optical probe; an optical path length control element configured to receive the light having the changed path from the optical path control unit, and change an optical path length of the light as the optical path control unit changes the path of the light; and an optical output unit configured to receive the light having the changed optical path length from the optical path length control element, and output the light. | 07-11-2013 |
20130182260 | Swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) method and system - A method and apparatus are provided for a swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system utilizing a fast scanning mechanism in the sample arm and a slowly swept light source. The position data is collected rapidly while the wavelength of the source is swept slowly. The system reduces the sweep speed requirements of the light source enabling higher power, greater imaging range, and linear sweeps of the source frequency. The OCT components (or most of them) may be implemented within a hand held imaging probe. In operation, a triangulation scan may be used to orient the imaging probe with respect to a fixed coordinate system; preferably, OCT data captured by the device is then transformed to that same orientation with respect to the fixed coordinate system to improve the scanning results. | 07-18-2013 |
20130182261 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING SYSTEM AND OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING METHOD - An optical tomographic imaging method according to one aspect of the present invention is a method of: splitting light emitted from a wavelength sweep light source into measuring light and reference light; radiating the measuring light onto a measuring subject; combining reflection light from the measuring subject with the reference light; detecting interfered light obtained by combining the reflection light with the reference light as an interference signal; and Fourier-transforming the interference signal to acquire a tomographic image of the measuring subject, and includes steps of: generating tomographic data of the measuring subject based on the interference signal; generating surface data of the measuring subject based on the interference signal; constructing a tomographic image that is based on the generated tomographic data; constructing a surface image that is based on the outputted surface data; and generating a display image from the tomographic image and the surface image. | 07-18-2013 |
20130188195 | Optically Corrective Microprobe for White Light Interferometry - An optically corrective microprobe for white light interferometry is disclosed. In white light interferometry which uses different spectral ranges, the dispersion-induced dependency of optical path differences on the wavelength between measurement light bundle and reference light bundle is compensated by an efficient, easily miniaturized arrangement. A reference beamsplitter with partially reflecting filters in at least two different spectral ranges for generating at least two transmitted measurement light bundles and associated reflected reference light bundles of nonoverlapping spectral ranges is arranged between the light output surface of the light-conducting fiber and the focusing optics. An axial distance between two partially reflecting filters is adjusted in such a way that a spectrally induced optical path difference to which the respective measurement light bundles are subjected when passing through dispersive elements in the light path to the object surface and back is present to the same magnitude between the respective reference light bundles. | 07-25-2013 |
20130188196 | LATERAL DISTORTION CORRECTED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - A lateral-distortion corrected optical coherence tomography system. The system can include an optical coherence tomography sensor, a light source, a fiber-optic system arranged to provide a reference beam and an observation beam, an optical detection system arranged to receive combined light from the reference beam and the observation beam and to provide detection signals, and a data processing system arranged to communicate with the optical detection system and receive the detection signals. The data processing system can be configured to assemble an image corresponding to a scanning path by constructing a plurality of A-scans from the detection signals, determining displacement information from the plurality of A-scans, and arranging the plurality of A-scans according to the displacement information. | 07-25-2013 |
20130194581 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS - An optical coherence tomographic apparatus which obtains a tomographic image of an object based on light obtained by combining return light from the object irradiated with measurement light through a first lens and reference light corresponding to the measurement light, the apparatus comprises a scanning unit provided on an optical path of the measurement light and configured to scan the measurement light on the object; a second lens disposed between the scanning unit and the object; an optical path branching unit disposed between the first lens and the second lens and configured to make the optical path of the measurement light branch off to an observation optical path for observation of the object; a dividing unit that splits light emitted from a light source into the measurement light and the reference light; and a focus lens disposed between the dividing and scanning units. | 08-01-2013 |
20130201485 | Flexible Waveguides for Optical Coherence Tomography - A system and method for depth-resolved imaging of a sample are presented. The system for depth-resolved imaging of a sample includes a substrate of substantially flexible material., a plurality of waveguides disposed on the substrate, an optical element disposed at a distal end of the plurality of waveguides, and one or more interferometers. Light is collected from the sample through the optical element and plurality of waveguides on the flexible substrate on its path to the one or more interferometers. The interferometers are configured to combine a reference light with the light received by at least a portion of the plurality of waveguides to resolve contributions from one or more depths of the sample. The system further includes a light guiding element coupled between the plurality of waveguides and the one or more interferometers, | 08-08-2013 |
20130215431 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR - A method for increasing the imaging rate for an optical coherence tomography system is disclosed. The method comprises generating an interferometric signal by interrogating each of M object points on a sample with a unique set of wavelength components that are collectively spectrally interleaved within a spectral range, forming the interferometric signal based on the wavelength components reflected from the interrogated object points, dispersing the interferometric signal across a two-dimensional array of detectors, and forming an image based on the dispersed spectral components. | 08-22-2013 |
20130215432 | Filtered ASE Swept Source for OCT Medical Imaging - An integrated swept wavelength optical source uses a filtered ASE signal with an optical amplifier and tracking filter. This source comprises a micro optical bench, a source for generating broadband light, a first tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the broadband light from the broadband source to generate a narrowband tunable signal, an amplifier, installed on the bench, for amplifying the tunable signal, and a second tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the amplified tunable signal from the amplifier. A self-tracking arrangement is also possible where a single tunable filter both generates the narrowband signal and spectrally filters the amplified signal. In some examples, two-stage amplification is provided. The use of a single bench implementation yields a low cost high performance system. For example, polarization control between components is no longer necessary. | 08-22-2013 |
20130222812 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF - An optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a light source, a light coupling module, and an optical path difference generating module. The light source emits a coherent light. The light coupling module divides the coherent light into a first incident light and a second incident light. The first incident light is emitted to an item to be inspected and a first reflected light is generated. The second incident light is emitted to the optical path difference generating module, a second reflected light is generated according to the second incident light by the optical path difference generating module through changing the transparent/reflection properties of at least one optical devices of the optical path difference generating module, so that there is a optical path difference between the first reflected light and the second reflected light. | 08-29-2013 |
20130222813 | CALIBRATION JIG FOR OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A CALIBRATION CONVERSION TABLE - A calibration jig allowing simple and repeatable calibration of a probe optical tomographic apparatus is disclosed. The jig includes a holding member removably attachable to an attachment section of the apparatus and a reflective surface held by the holding member. The reflective surface reflects measurement light emitted from an emitting section of the attachment section and directs reflected light back to the emitting section. If a probe of the apparatus is covered with a sheath, the jig may include a light transmitting member, which generates the same dispersion as dispersion at the sheath, between the emitting section and the reflective surface. The reflective surface may be a single reflective surface disposed within an area corresponding to twice a coherence length of the laser light with a zero path position of the reflective surface being the center of the area. | 08-29-2013 |
20130235382 | DEVICE FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - In certain embodiments, a device for optical coherence tomography (OCT) includes a signal detection device and a computer arrangement. The signal detection device is designed to detect an interference signal (G(ω)) for an object to be imaged in an optical frequency range (ω). The computer arrangement is designed to determine intermediate signals (G | 09-12-2013 |
20130235383 | FULL-FIELD OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM FOR IMAGING AN OBJECT - The present invention relates to a full-field optical coherence tomography system ( | 09-12-2013 |
20130235384 | OPTICAL MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND PROBE - An optical measurement apparatus that measures a property of a scatterer, including: a light source that supplies illumination light having at least one spectral component; an illumination fiber that propagates, to a distal end thereof, light supplied from a proximal end thereof by the light source and illuminates light onto the scatterer from the distal end; first and second light detection fibers, each outputting, from a proximal end thereof, returned light from the scatterer, the returned light entering from a distal end thereof, the first and second light detection fibers having distal end positions different from each other in a longitudinal direction; a detection unit that detects light output from the proximal ends of the first and second light detection fibers; and a measurement unit that measures a property of the scatterer based on a result of the detection by the detection unit. | 09-12-2013 |
20130242309 | OPTICAL IMAGING METHOD AND OPTICAL IMAGING APPARTUS - An optical imaging method in an embodiment includes: a scanning step to scan each of a plurality of A-lines of an object with a signal light while alternately changing the phase difference between the signal light and a reference light to two preset phase differences; a detection step to detect the interference light of the signal light passing through the A-line and the reference light; and an imaging step to generate a complex interference spectrum based on the detection results of the interference lights corresponding to the plurality of A-lines sequentially obtained in the detection step according to the scanning, and form, based on the complex interference spectrum, the tomographic image along the arrangement of the plurality of A-lines in which a complex conjugate artifact is substantially removed. | 09-19-2013 |
20130242310 | LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE INCLUDING SUPER LUMINESCENT DIODES, METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, AND OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING APPARATUS - Provided is a light source device, including at least two super luminescent diodes being a first and second SLD, which are provided on a same substrate, the first and second SLD including: a same active layer having an emission spectrum having multiple peaks; a multiplexing portion for multiplexing beams of exit lights which respectively exit from the first and second SLD; and an optical output waveguide for outputting the multiplexed beams, the active layer, the multiplexing portion, and the optical output waveguide being formed on the substrate, in which the first SLD includes a first electrode portion for driving at a first current density, and is structured so that emission peaks on a long wavelength side are dominant, and the second SLD includes a second electrode portion for driving at a second current density, and is structured so that emission peaks on a short wavelength side are dominant. | 09-19-2013 |
20130271772 | Multi-speed OCT swept source with optimized k-clock - An optical coherence tomography system utilizes an optical swept source that frequency scans at least two different sweep rates. In this way, the system can perform large depth scans of the sample and then the same system can perform shorter depth high precision scans, in one specific example. In order to optimally use the analog to digital converter that samples the interference signal, the system further samples the interference signals at different optical frequency sampling intervals depending upon the selected sweep rates of the optical swept source. This allows the system to adapt to different sweep rates in an optimal fashion. | 10-17-2013 |
20130278935 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY METHOD - In an OCT apparatus of the related art, since a k-trigger generating unit and a measuring system for obtaining interference light including information about an object are separately provided, the k-trigger generating unit needs to send trigger signals for sampling to the measuring system. Thus, timing errors due to multiple electric devices are likely to accumulate, and this makes high-accuracy synchronization difficult. | 10-24-2013 |
20130278936 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE ACQUISITION APPARATUS AND METHOD OF ACQUIRING OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE - An optical tomographic image acquisition apparatus includes a light source unit emitting light; a light dividing device dividing the light from the unit into measurement light and reference light; a projecting device arranged inside a tubular sheath to project the measurement light onto an object; a combining device combining reflected light reflected from the object or the sheath and the reference light; an interference light detecting device detecting interference light between the reflected light and the reference light; an interference signal acquiring device acquiring an interference signal; a tomographic image acquiring device acquiring an optical tomographic image; and a reference position adjustment section detecting a sheath interference signal that is an interference signal of the reflected light reflected from the sheath from the interference signals and adjusts an optical tomographic image reference position as a reference to acquire the optical tomographic image based on the detected sheath interference signal. | 10-24-2013 |
20130308136 | Regenerative Mode Locked Laser Swept Source for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system uses a laser swept source that is constrained to operate in a mode locked condition using regenerative mode-locking This is accomplished by synchronously changing the laser cavity's net gain and/or phase based on time varying intensity of the swept optical signal generated by the laser. This produces a stable pulsation behavior, which is associated with smooth tuning (low optical frequency reference clock jitter) and low relative intensity noise (RIN). | 11-21-2013 |
20130314716 | SPECKLE REDUCTION IN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY BY PATH LENGTH ENCODED ANGULAR COMPOUNDING - Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of an apparatus obtaining information associated with a structure can be provided. For example, with a first arrangement, it is possible to separate at least one first electro-magnetic radiation into a first radiation and a second radiation forwarded to the structure, with the first and second radiations having different path lengths. Using a second arrangement, it is possible to receive third and fourth radiations from the structure associated with the first and second radiations and a fifth radiation received from a reference. Further, with a third arrangement, it is possible to generate data corresponding to an amount of a ranging depth within the structure associated with the second arrangement. For example, a difference between the path lengths of the first and second radiations is equal or greater than the ranging depth. | 11-28-2013 |
20130314717 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LASER SCANNING STRUCTURED ILLUMINATION MICROSCOPY AND TOMOGRAPHY - Certain examples provide a structured illumination microscopy system. The example system includes a laser source to generate excitation illumination directed toward a target. The example system includes a modulator to modulate the excitation illumination temporally in a controllable spatial pattern to be constructed on the target object to provide sub-diffractional resolution in a lateral direction with respect to the target. The example system includes two synchronized laser scanning mirror units in confocal arrangement, the laser scanning units to be synchronized and controlled by a computing device, a first of the scanning mirror units to receive the modulated excitation illumination and project the modulated excitation illumination on the target object and a second of the scanning mirror units to receive emission fluorescence from the target and project the emission fluorescence. The example system includes a detector to collect emission fluorescence from the target via the second of the scanning mirror units. | 11-28-2013 |
20130321819 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE - A method of generating a tomographic includes detecting a coherence signal that is phase-modulated in a first direction with respect to a cross-section of a subject and includes cross-sectional information of the subject as raw data about the subject; generating a reference temporary tomographic image and at least one temporary tomographic image by performing signal processing on the raw data; detecting an artifact are of the reference temporary tomographic image based on a result of comparing the reference temporary tomographic image with the at least one temporary tomographic image and based on artifact statistics regarding whether an artifact exists; and restoring the artifact area. | 12-05-2013 |
20130321820 | ASE Swept Source with Self-Tracking Filter for OCT Medical Imaging - An integrated swept wavelength tunable optical source uses a narrowband filtered broadband signal with an optical amplifier and self-tracking filter. This source comprises a micro optical bench, a source for generating broadband light, a tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the broadband light from the broadband source to generate a narrowband tunable signal, an amplifier, installed on the bench, for amplifying the tunable signal. The self-tracking arrangement is used where a single tunable filter both generates the narrowband signal and spectrally filters the amplified signal. In some examples, two-stage amplification is provided. The use of a single bench implementation yields a low cost high performance system. For example, polarization control between components is no longer necessary. | 12-05-2013 |
20130342847 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC DETECTION OF ORGANISMS - A method is disclosed of detecting the presence of an organism in a medium. In some embodiments, the method includes: obtaining a series of optical coherence tomography measurements of a region of the medium; processing the series of optical coherence tomography measurements to determine information indicative of translational and rotational motion of an object in the region of the medium; identifying the object as organism based on the information indicative of translational and rotational motion of the object; and outputting information indication of the presence of the organism. | 12-26-2013 |
20130342848 | System and Method for Optical Coherence Tomography - The present invention relates to a device and a corresponding method having a light source ( | 12-26-2013 |
20140016135 | Optical Coherence Tomography Laser with Integrated Clock - A frequency swept laser source for TEFD-OCT imaging includes an integrated clock subsystem on the optical bench with the laser source. The clock subsystem generates frequency clock signals as the optical signal is tuned over the scan band. Preferably the laser source further includes a cavity extender in its optical cavity between a tunable filter and gain medium to increase an optical distance between the tunable filter and the gain medium in order to control the location of laser intensity pattern noise. The laser also includes a fiber stub that allows for control over the cavity length while also controlling birefringence in the cavity. | 01-16-2014 |
20140016136 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY OBSERVATION APPARATUS, METHOD FOR DETERMINING RELATIVE POSITION OF IMAGES, AND PROGRAM FOR DETERMINING RELATIVE POSITION OF IMAGES - An optical coherence tomography observation apparatus comprising a controller ( | 01-16-2014 |
20140022554 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES - A method and apparatus are provided to generate tomography images that performs the method. The apparatus and method are configured to determine a basis pattern from modulated phases of incident rays from a spatial light modulator according to a pattern of arranged pixels. The apparatus and method are further configured to perform spatial shift modulation shifting an arrangement of the pixels vertically or horizontally with respect to the basis pattern to obtain shift patterns of the basis pattern. The apparatus and method are configured to generate tomography images for the basis pattern and the shift patterns using spectrum signals of rays obtained from the incident rays passing through the spatial light modulator and entering a subject. The apparatus and method are configured to select a pattern that generates a clearest tomography image of the subject based on the generated tomography images. | 01-23-2014 |
20140029013 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS - An optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus includes a wavelength-sweeping light source. The wavelength-sweeping light source includes an optical resonator in which a light amplifying medium and a dispersive element configured to give angular dispersion to light emitted from the light amplifying medium according to the wavelength are provided, and a wavelength selection element having a rotating mechanism. An arithmetic processing unit converts a selected wavelength obtained in correspondence with a rotation angle of the rotating mechanism into an optical frequency, and obtains a data string of interfering signals at equal optical frequency intervals by interpolation on the basis of data on interfering signals sampled in correspondence with the rotation angle. | 01-30-2014 |
20140029014 | System and Method for Optical Coherence Tomography and Method for Calibrating This Type of System - The invention relates to a system and a corresponding method for optical coherence tomography having at least one interferometer for emitting light with which a specimen is irradiated, a specimen arm comprising a specimen objective by means of which light emitted by the interferometer is focussed in a focus lying within the specimen, a detector for collecting light which is reflected by the specimen, and a control unit for controlling the system such that during the collection alight, which is respectively reflected at different depths of the specimen, the imaging properties of the specimen objective are changed. | 01-30-2014 |
20140049781 | Method and System for Optical Coherence Tomography - The present invention relates to a method as well as a corresponding system for optical coherence tomography in which by means of an optical coherence tomography equipment at least two two-dimensional initial images (S) of an object are acquired in planes of the object that are spaced apart from one another, in particular running parallel to one another, wherein the initial images each comprise a plurality of initial image values. | 02-20-2014 |
20140055789 | TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE GENERATION APPARATUS HAVING MODULATION AND CORRECTION DEVICE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME - A tomographic image generation apparatus includes a light source unit configured to emit light to be used for scanning an object; an optical control unit configured to control a direction of propagation of light; an optical coupler configured to divide and combine incident light; a plurality of optical systems optically connected to the optical coupler; and a modulation and correction device configured to modulate and correct the light to be used for scanning the object. The modulation and correction device may be disposed between the optical control unit and the optical coupler, or may be included in an optical system that irradiates light onto the object among the plurality of optical systems. The modulation and correction device may only modulate light that is reflected to the object. | 02-27-2014 |
20140055790 | VARIABLE WAVELENGTH SURFACE EMITTING LASER - A surface emitting laser includes a first laser, and a second laser, wherein each of the first laser and the second laser includes a light resonant cavity including a pair of reflecting mirrors, and a semiconductor layer configured to emit light and arranged inside the light resonant cavity, an oscillation wavelength of light varied by displacing a location of the reflecting mirror in a thickness direction of the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer is shared by the first laser and the second laser, the first laser has a resonant cavity length for oscillating with (n+1)th order (n is an integer of 1 or more) of a longitudinal mode, the second laser has a resonant cavity length for oscillating with nth order of a longitudinal mode, and respective wavelength bands of light oscillated by the first laser the second laser are different. | 02-27-2014 |
20140055791 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The present application describes the acquisition of a tomographic image indicating a polarization state of a subject; a region is extracted from the tomographic image; and a first index indicating a first form in the region and a second index indicating a second form in the region are displayed. | 02-27-2014 |
20140063507 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An optical coherence tomographic imaging apparatus capable of shortening the time required for focus adjustment and reducing the burden on an object is provided. The apparatus includes a first focus unit that moves a first optical focus member disposed in a light-receiving optical system of an optical observation system that obtains an observed image of an object, and a second focus unit that moves a second optical focus member disposed in an optical interference system that acquires a tomographic image of the object in conjunction with a movement of the first optical focus member. | 03-06-2014 |
20140063508 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes a reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct a tomographic image of a predetermined range of a measurement object based on interference light produced by interference between returning light of measurement light from the measurement object and reference light, and a generation unit configured to, for each pixel value row in a depth direction of the tomographic image, generate a two-dimensional image based on a pixel value selected in order of magnitude of the pixel values. | 03-06-2014 |
20140078510 | SCANNING DEVICE FOR LOW COHERENCE INTERFEROMETRY - A system for lateral scanning of a sample using optical coherence tomography is presented. The low coherence interferometry system includes a first multiplexing unit and a second multiplexing unit. The first multiplexing unit is configured to receive a first beam of radiation and includes a first plurality of optical delay elements configured to introduce a group delay to the first beam of radiation based on an optical path traversed by the first beam of radiation among a first plurality of optical waveguides. The second multiplexing unit is configured to receive a second beam of radiation. The second multiplexing unit includes a second plurality of optical modulating elements configured to differentiate the second beam of radiation among a second plurality of optical waveguides to produce one or more output radiation beams. The second plurality of optical waveguides is configured to guide the one or more output radiation beams towards a sample. | 03-20-2014 |
20140085639 | Laser Swept Source with Controlled Mode Locking for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system uses a laser swept source that is constrained to operate in a mode locked condition. This is accomplished by synchronously changing the laser cavity's gain and/or phase based on the round trip travel time of light in the cavity. Many high-speed wavelength swept laser sources emit pulses synchronized with the round trip time of the cavity as part of a nonlinear optical frequency red shifting process. Stable pulsation is associated with smooth tuning and low relative intensity noise. Addition of mode-locking methods to this class of lasers can control and stabilize these lasers to a low clock jitter and RIN state, and in specific cases allow long-to-short wavelength tuning in addition to the usual short-to-long (red shifting). The laser may comprise a SOA ( | 03-27-2014 |
20140092391 | LIGHT SOURCE AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A light source includes a control unit that controls currents injected into at least one light emitting region and a light emission spectrum conversion region. The at least one light emitting region includes a first light emitting region and a second light emitting region different from the first light emitting region, light that is emitted from the first light emitting region and passes through the light emission spectrum conversion region is combined with the light that is emitted from the first or second light emitting region and does not pass through the light emission spectrum conversion region. The control unit controls the currents injected into the light emission spectrum conversion region and the first light emitting region so that the current density of the light emission spectrum conversion region is smaller than the current density of the first light emitting region. | 04-03-2014 |
20140092392 | METHOD FOR OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY - There is disclosed a method for detecting spatially structured sample volumes by means of coherent light and digital holography. There is also disclosed a method for analyzing the depth structure of samples in accordance with optical coherence tomography. | 04-03-2014 |
20140098373 | POLARIZATION-SENSITIVE SPECTRAL INTERFEROMETRY - A polarization sensitive spectral interferometer apparatus and method for analyzing a sample by optical energy reflected from the sample. The polarization sensitive spectral interferometer apparatus and method determines polarization properties of the sample by optical energy reflected from the sample. | 04-10-2014 |
20140098374 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR UNIFORM FREQUENCY SAMPLE CLOCKING - A method and a system for Uniform Frequency Sample Clocking to directly sample the OCT signal with a temporally-non-linear sampling clock derived from a k-space wavemeter on the external sample clock input port of a digitizer. | 04-10-2014 |
20140118748 | Integrated Delay Line for Optical Coherence Tomography - A system includes a waveguide that guides a beam of radiation, a variable delay unit, and a polarization-dependent modulating unit. The variable delay unit modulates the refractive index in a region, and the waveguide makes a plurality of passes through the region. The polarization-dependent element compensates for birefringence associated with the beam of radiation and includes a polarization splitter and a plurality of modulating elements. The polarization splitter has a first arm and a second arm that each include modulation segments. The beam of radiation is split between the first arm and the second arm and recombined after traversing the modulation segments. The recombination of the beam generates a first polarized beam of radiation and a second polarized beam of radiation. The plurality of modulating elements apply a first and second modulation to the first polarized beam of radiation and the second polarized beam of radiation respectively. | 05-01-2014 |
20140125986 | OCT system with tunable clock system for flexible data acquisition - An OCT system and particularly its clock system generates a k-clock signal but also generates an optical frequency reference sweep signal that, for example, indicates the start of the sweep or an absolute frequency reference associated with the sweep at least for the purposes of sampling of the interference signal and/or processing of that interference signal into the OCT images. The clock system is also tunable to allow the control or flexibility over the relationship between the scanning of the swept optical signal and the sampling of the interference signal by the data acquisition system. Specifically, the absolute frequencies of the swept optical signal at which the k-clock signals are generated can be adjusted. Also, the absolute frequency of the swept optical signal at which sampling of the interference signal is initiated can also be changed or stabilized. Moreover, optical frequency sampling interval defined by the k-clock signal can be changed under user control or simply stabilized. | 05-08-2014 |
20140125987 | Integrated Optical Coherence Tomography System - An optical detector system comprises a hermetic optoelectronic package, an optical bench installed within the optoelectronic package, a balanced detector system installed on the optical bench. The balanced detector system includes at least two optical detectors that receive interference signals. An electronic amplifier system installed within the optoelectronic package amplifies an output of at least two optical detectors. Also disclosed is an integrated optical coherence tomography system. Embodiments are provided in which the amplifiers, typically transimpedance amplifiers, are closely integrated with the optical detectors that detect the interference signals from the interferometer. Further embodiments are provided in which the interferometer but also preferably its detectors are integrated together on a common optical bench. Systems that have little or no optical fiber can thus be implemented. | 05-08-2014 |
20140125988 | OPTICAL IMAGING APPARATUS, OPTICAL IMAGING METHOD, APPARATUS FOR SETTING CHARACTERISTICS OF A LIGHT SOURCE, AND METHOD FOR SETTING CHARACTERISTICS OF A LIGHT SOURCE - An embodiment provides a method for setting the characteristics of the light to be output from a light source unit for optical coherence tomography, using a computer. This method is performed by using relation information in which a representative wavelength, a wavelength range including said representative wavelength, and the light loss amount due to absorption by a medium are related to each other. This method includes the following steps: setting each value of a first parameter and a second parameter among the representative wavelength, the wavelength range, and the light loss amount; acquiring a value of a third parameter among the representative wavelength, the wavelength range, and the light loss amount other than said first parameter and said second parameter based on the set two values and said relation information; and outputting a value of said acquired third parameter. | 05-08-2014 |
20140139844 | OPTICAL SOURCE APPARATUS AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS - The optical source apparatus includes a deflector that includes a first deflector and a second deflector which deflect the light emitted from the gain medium in a first direction and a second direction, respectively, and a wavelength selection element that has a first region and a second region which select light having any wavelength in a first wavelength range and a second wavelength range out of the light illuminating the wavelength selection element through the deflector, respectively, wherein the first region is structured so that the wavelengths of light selected along the first direction are different from each other, the second region is structured so that the wavelengths of light selected along the first direction are different from each other, and the second region is positioned in the second direction with respect to the first region. | 05-22-2014 |
20140139845 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY METHOD - The present invention relates to an optical coherence tomography system having an interferometer, in particular a Michelson interferometer, having a reference arm for variable adjustment of an optical reference path length and having a measuring arm in which an object to be scanned can be disposed and/or is disposed in a sample volume, wherein a focusing system which is configured for focusing divergently incident light beams on a common point situated in the sample volume is disposed in the measuring arm between the beam splitter of the interferometer and the sample volume. | 05-22-2014 |
20140152996 | POLARIZATION-SENSITIVE OPTICAL MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENT - A beam emitted from a light source is split into a probe beam that irradiates a measurement object and a reference beam that does not irradiate the measurement object. A signal beam obtained by the reflection of the probe beam is split into first and second split signal beams, which are mutually orthogonal polarized components. The first split signal beam and the reference beam are inputted to a first coherence optical system to cause the beams to interfere with each other to generate at least three coherence beams differing in phasic relationship. The second split signal beam and the reference beam are inputted to a second coherence optical system to cause the beams to interfere with each other to generate at least three coherence beams differing in phasic relationship. The coherence beams are then detected. | 06-05-2014 |
20140152997 | Integrated Dual Swept Source for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system comprising: a first swept source that generates a first optical signal that is tuned over a first spectral scan band, a second swept source that generates a second optical signal that is tuned over a second spectral scan band, a combiner for combining the first optical signal and the second optical signal for form a combined optical signal, an interferometer for dividing the combined optical signal between a reference arm leading to a reference reflector and a sample arm leading to a sample, and a detector system for detecting an interference signal generated from the combined optical signal from the reference arm and from the sample arm. In embodiments, the swept sources are tunable lasers that have shared laser cavities. | 06-05-2014 |
20140160484 | DISTORTION CORRECTED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - An axial motion distortion-corrected optical coherence tomography system. The system can include an optical coherence tomography sensor, a light source, a fiber-optic system arranged to provide a reference beam and an observation beam, an optical detection system arranged to receive combined light from the reference beam and the observation beam and to provide detection signals, and a data processing system arranged to receive said detection signals, construct a plurality of A-scans from said detection signals, and construct one or more images from said plurality of A-scans. The data processing system can be configured to correct distortion in the images caused by net axial motion of at least one of said optical coherence tomography sensor or a target of said optical coherence tomography sensor by calculating an estimate of the net axial motion using Doppler shift, and then shifting the A-scans according to the estimate. | 06-12-2014 |
20140160485 | DURABLE SINGLE MODE FIBER PROBE WITH OPTIMIZED REFERENCE REFLECTIVITY - A probe for a common path optical coherence tomography system includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, a single mode optical fiber disposed within the lumen of the sheath such that a portion of the single mode optical fiber extends beyond the distal end of the sheath. The single mode optical fiber has an end face for transmitting and receiving light. The probe also includes a layer of hardened epoxy encasing the portion of the single mode optical fiber that extends beyond the distal end of the sheath except for the end face. The single mode optical fiber has an optical axis extending along a longitudinal direction of the single mode optical fiber. The hardened epoxy is polished at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the optical axis at the end face. | 06-12-2014 |
20140160486 | SAPPHIRE LENS-BASED OPTICAL FIBER PROBE FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - A probe for an optical coherence tomography system according to an embodiment of the current invention includes a sheath having a proximal end and a distal end and defining a lumen therein, an optical fiber disposed at least partially within the lumen of said sheath, and a sapphire lens attached to the distal end of the sheath to form a fluid-tight seal to prevent fluid from entering the lumen of said sheath. The optical fiber has an end arranged in an optical path with the sapphire lens to provide optical coupling between the sapphire lens and the optical fiber. | 06-12-2014 |
20140160487 | REAL-TIME 3D AND 4D FOURIER DOMAIN DOPPLER OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - An optical coherence tomography imaging system includes a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography sensor system, a signal processing system configured to communicate with the Fourier domain optical coherence tomography sensor system to receive detection signals therefrom and to provide imaging signals, and an image display system configured to communicate with the signal processing system to receive the imaging signals. The signal processing system includes a parallel processor configured to calculate structure information and Doppler information from the detection signals in real time such that the imaging signals provide a real time display of combined structure and flow of an object under observation. | 06-12-2014 |
20140160488 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SPACE-DIVISION MULTIPLEXING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - A space-division multiplexing optical coherence tomography apparatus and system is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a light source, a reference arm, and a sample arm. The sample arm splits the sampling light into a plurality of sampling beams which may be scanned simultaneously onto a surface of a sample. An optical delay may be introduced into the sampling beams before scanning. A plurality of reflected light signals returned from the sample is collected. In one arrangement, the signals may be combined to produce a single reflected light signal. The reflected light signal(s) and a reference signal are combined to produce an interference signal comprising data representative of digitized images captured of the actual object. In one embodiment, a single sample arm may be used for scanning and collecting image data. A related method is also provided. | 06-12-2014 |
20140168656 | LUMINESCENT DEVICE, OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH THE LUMINESCENT DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE LUMINESCENT DEVICE - A luminescent device including an upper electrode layer, a lower electrode layer and an active layer provided between these electrode layers, the device having such a structure that at least one electrode layer of the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer is provided in an in-plane direction of the active layer being divided into plural electrodes, current is injected into plural different regions of the active layer by the plural electrodes to cause emission in plural luminescent regions, and light emitted from one luminescent region of the plural luminescent regions enters in another luminescent region and exits. The device further includes a light receiving portion for detecting light that is emitted from one luminescent region of the plural luminescent regions and does not go through another luminescent region. | 06-19-2014 |
20140168657 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY DEVICE - An optical tomography device | 06-19-2014 |
20140168658 | Integrated Dual Swept Source for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system comprising: a first swept source that generates a first optical signal that is tuned over a first spectral scan band, a second swept source that generates a second optical signal that is tuned over a second spectral scan band, a combiner for combining the first optical signal and the second optical signal to form a combined optical signal, an interferometer for dividing the combined optical signal between a reference arm leading to a reference reflector and a sample arm leading to a sample, and a detector system for detecting an interference signal generated from the combined optical signal from the reference arm and from the sample arm. | 06-19-2014 |
20140176958 | OCT System with Bonded MEMS Tunable Mirror VCSEL Swept Source - A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-tunable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) in which the MEMS mirror is a bonded to the active region. This allows for a separate electrostatic cavity, that is outside the laser's optical resonant cavity. Moreover, the use of this cavity configuration allows the MEMS mirror to be tuned by pulling the mirror away from the active region. This reduces the risk of snap down. Moreover, since the MEMS mirror is now bonded to the active region, much wider latitude is available in the technologies that are used to fabricate the MEMS mirror. This is preferably deployed as a swept source in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176959 | SWING-STYLE AND HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO DEMODULATION DEVICES AND CORRESPONDING DEMODULATION METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF LOW COHERENCE INTERFERENCE DISPLACEMENT - This invention provides a swing-style and high signal-to-noise ratio low coherence interference demodulation devices and the corresponding demodulation method for the measurement of displacement. In the displacement sensing method, the optical path difference, which is built by the light reflections from the reference surface and the test object, varies with the displacement of the test object. When the reflected signal lights is sent to a low coherence polarization interference system, the birefringent wedge formulates a spatial distribution of optical path difference, from which the optical path difference of the reflection signals thus can be demodulated. In the displacement scanning method, the reflected signal lights are collimated and transferred to a time scanner consisting of a rotating mirror and a f-θ lens, to perform thin light beam scanning along the longitudinal direction of a birefringent wedge. This innovation provides two demodulation devices that are both applicable for the measurement methods. One uses a linear camera array and the other uses a linear micropore array and single PIN photoelectric detector, to receive interference fringes. Since the energy of the scanning beam is highly concentrated, the signal-to-noise ratio for low coherence interference signal is significantly higher than that of the traditional devices. In addition, the accuracy of these demodulation devices is significantly improved, because the linear camera array and the linear micropore array maintain a consistent spatial position of the received light spot. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176960 | POLARIZATION SENSITIVE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM - The invention generally relates to a polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) system that includes both polarization maintaining and single mode optical fiber and methods of use thereof. | 06-26-2014 |
20140176961 | MANUAL CALIBRATION OF IMAGING SYSTEM - The invention generally relates to methods for manually calibrating imaging systems such as optical coherence tomography systems. In certain aspects, an imaging system displays an image showing a target and a reference item. A user looks at the image and indicates a point within the image near the reference item. A processer detects an actual location of the reference item within an area around the indicated point. The processer can use an expected location of the reference item with the detected actual location to calculate a calibration value and provide a calibrated image. In this way, a user can identify the actual location of the reference point and a processing algorithm can give precision to the actual location. | 06-26-2014 |
20140185054 | System and Method for Stabilizing Mode Locked Swept Laser for OCT Medical Imaging - An optical coherence analysis system uses a laser swept source that is constrained to operate in a stable mode locked condition by modulating a drive current to the semiconductor optical amplifier as function of wavelength or synchronously with the drive voltage of the laser's tunable element based on stability map for the laser. | 07-03-2014 |
20140185055 | Methods and Systems for Integrated Imaging Using Optical Coherence Tomography and Photoacoustic Imaging - Systems and methods for photoacoustic imaging are provided. Photoacoustic signals are excited from a body and the excited photoacoustic signals are detected with a low coherence interferometer system serving as a photoacoustic detector. Cross-sectional images of the body are then reconstructed by the system from the detected photoacoustic signals. | 07-03-2014 |
20140204388 | OPTICAL MEASURING APPARATUS - Provided is a compact, low-cost optical measuring apparatus capable of acquiring an image of a target to be measured without moving a mirror or using a wavelength-scanning light source or beam splitter. A laser beam emitted from a light source is split into first and second beams, and the first beam is focused as a signal beam onto the target by a lens for irradiation purposes, while the second beam is reflected as a reference beam by a mirror without irradiating the target. Then, a signal beam reflected by or scattered by the target is multiplexed with the reference beam and then enters interference optics, whereby three or more interference beams with different phases are generated and detected by photodetectors. Then, the detection signals are operated by a signal processing unit. During the measurement, the focus position of the first beam is moved at least in the optical axis direction. | 07-24-2014 |
20140204389 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPH AND OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC METHOD - A luminous flux including laser light of different wavelengths outgoing from a light source unit is split into two luminous fluxes, the first luminous flux is focused on a sample with an objective lens, and the second luminous flux functions as reference light without radiating it onto the sample. Signal light reflected from the sample and the reference light are multiplexed by a polarized beam splitter and are made to interfere on four photodetectors out of phase in a photodetection unit. A signal processing unit acquires the optical axis distribution of an object of examination in the sample by operating using the outputs of the plural photodetectors for input every wavelength, acquiring a detection signal and calculating the ratio of detection signals of different wavelengths every position in the sample. | 07-24-2014 |
20140204390 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MEASURING THE QUANTITY AND OPTICAL PARAMETERS OF A LIQUID IN A CONTAINER USING THE PRINCIPLE OF OPTICAL LOW COHERENCE REFLECTOMETRY - An apparatus for measuring the quantity and optical parameters of a liquid in a container using the principle of optical low coherence reflectometry is provided, the apparatus having: a source arm with a low coherence light source; a reference arm including a reference lens, a mirror, means for adjusting the distance between the reference lens and the mirror and means for measuring the distance between the reference lens and the mirror; a test arm with a test lens; means for dividing the output of the source arm between the test arm and the reference arm; means for combining light reflected back into the reference arm and the test arm to create an interference signal; and means for detecting and analyzing the interference signal. | 07-24-2014 |
20140218740 | Method and System for Optical Coherence Tomography - The present invention relates to a method as well as a corresponding system ( | 08-07-2014 |
20140218741 | OCT Swept Laser with Cavity Length Compensation - An optical coherence tomography system utilizes an optical swept laser that has cavity length compensator that changes an optical length of the laser cavity for different optical frequencies to increase the length of the laser cavity for lower optical frequencies. Specifically, a spectral separation between longitudinal cavity modes of the laser cavity is shortened or alternatively lengthened as a passband of a cavity tuning element sweeps through a scanband of the swept optical signal. In some examples, the compensator is implemented as two gratings. In others, it is implemented as a chirped grating device. | 08-07-2014 |
20140218742 | Optical Coherence Tomography Control Systems and Methods - In part, the invention relates to methods, devices, and systems suitable for controlling a light source. The light source is configured for use in a data collection system such as an optical coherence tomography system. The light source can be controlled with a drive waveform. Linearizing and symmetrizing parameters of the light source such as forward and backward scan durations is achieved using a suitable drive waveform. Phase, amplitude, and other parameters for different harmonics of a fundamental wave can be identified that improve operating parameters such as the duty cycle and peak frequency matching between scans. The fundamental wave and one or more of such harmonics can be combined to generate the suitable drive wave form. The light source can include a tunable light source that includes or is in optical communication with a tunable filter. | 08-07-2014 |
20140218743 | Wavelength-Tunable Light Source Apparatus, Driving Method Thereof, Optical Tomographic Image Acquisition Apparatus Including Wavelength-Tunable Light Source Apparatus, and Optical Tomographic Image Acquisition Method - A wavelength-tunable light source apparatus that has a wavelength-tunable light source that simultaneously operates a plurality of light sources with different wavelengths to emit light, includes:
| 08-07-2014 |
20140218744 | SYSTEMS, METHOD AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM WHICH UTILIZE SYNTHETIC APERTURE(S) FOR EXTENDING DEPTH-OF-FOCUS OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING - An exemplary apparatus can be provided for generating at least one image of a structure. The apparatus can include at least one first arrangement that has a structural configuration with a first aperture and a second aperture. At least one detector second arrangement can b provided which is configured to detect (i) a first electro-magnetic signal provided to or from the structure via the first aperture, and (ii) a second electromagnetic signal provided to or from the structure via the second aperture. The first and second signals can be associated with data regarding at least one portion of the structure. The exemplary apparatus can further include at least one processing third arrangement which is configured to combine an amplitude and a phase of each of the first and second signals with one another to form a combined amplitude and a combined phase of a combined signal, and then generate the image(s) based on the combined signal. | 08-07-2014 |
20140218745 | DETECTOR CIRCUITS FOR INTERFEROMETERS - A detector circuit for a multi-channel interferometer, typically as may be used in an optical coherence tomography device, comprising: a plurality of measurement channels ( | 08-07-2014 |
20140233036 | DEVICE FOR TACTILE SHAPE DETERMINATION - A device for the tactile determination of a surface shape of a measuring object includes a micro probe arm having a stylus tip, the micro probe arm being fastened on an optical fiber having a fiber end, which is mounted in a probe housing, a reference mirror is provided in the probe housing, and an optical measuring device is provided for determining the position of the fiber end in relation to the reference mirror. The contactless interferometric determination of the distance between the fiber end of the optical fiber and the reference mirror attached in the probe housing allows precise determination of the surface shape of the measuring object. | 08-21-2014 |
20140233037 | ARTICLE FOR USE IN AN OCT-METHOD AND INTRAOCULAR LENS - An article for use in an OCT method, the article comprising a solid substrate and nanoparticles dispersed in or on the substrate in at least one light transmissive portion of the article such that the nanoparticles result in an increased extinction of the light transmissive portion along a transmission direction of the light transmissive portion compared to the substrate being free of nanoparticles. The extinction of the light transmissive portion along the transmission direction is less than 6, wherein the extinction is defined as a negative decadic logarithm of a ratio of an intensity of light which is transmitted through the light transmissive portion to an intensity of light which is incident on the light transmissive portion, wherein the light is in at least one of a visible and a near infrared wavelength range. | 08-21-2014 |
20140240713 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR IMAGING INSIDE A VESSEL - The invention generally relates to apparatuses and methods for imaging inside a vessel. In certain aspects, the invention provides an apparatus that includes an imaging device configured to image an inside of a vessel, and a sensing device configured to detect a conformational shape of the apparatus. | 08-28-2014 |
20140240714 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING INFORMATION ACQUISITION APPARATUS - An optical tomographic imaging information acquisition apparatus according to an SD-OCT system including: at least two super luminescent diodes; a sensor and a spectrometer that are for acquiring information on a measurement target; a combiner section for the photoreceptor unit configured to combine emitted beams from the at least two super luminescent diodes (SLDs) and to guide the beams to the photoreceptor unit; a monitor unit configured to monitor a spectrum of the emitted beams from the at least two super luminescent diodes; a driving unit configured to drive the SLDs; and a control unit configured to feed back a monitored result by the monitor unit to the driving unit, the driving unit is further configured to drive only one of each of the at least two super luminescent diodes. With the apparatus, a spectral shape can be easily controlled to be unimodal. | 08-28-2014 |
20140247454 | POWER TRANSMISSION AND SENSING DEVICE - A torque transmission assembly comprising: (i) an optical fiber coupled to an optical sensing component and capable of rotating and translating the optical sensing component and of transmitting light to and from the optical sensing component; and (b) an annular structure surrounding the optical fiber, the annular structure in conjunction with said optical fiber transmits torque from a rotating component to the optical sensing component, wherein the annular structure does not include a steel wire torque spring. | 09-04-2014 |
20140247455 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ASSEMBLY - An OCT assembly comprising: (a) a light transmissive rod having a first end, a second end, and a central axis; and a refractive surface adjacent to the second end; (b) a housing surrounding the OCT probe component; the housing having a tubular body with the window situated over the refractive surface, said tubular body having a surface wherein said surface of said tubular body has a coefficient of friction being less than 0.3; (c) an optical fiber connected to the OCT probe component; (d) an annular structure surrounding said optical fiber and capable of translating and rotating the OCT probe component. | 09-04-2014 |
20140253925 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS EQUIPPED WITH SURFACE EMITTING LASER - A surface emitting laser according to the present invention includes a lower reflector, a first spacer layer, an active layer, a second spacer layer composed of a semiconductor material, a gap section formed of at least one of vacuum and gas, and an upper reflector in the written order, and also includes a control mechanism that changes a distance between an interface between the second spacer layer and the gap section and an interface between the upper reflector and the gap section. An optical path length n | 09-11-2014 |
20140253926 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY DEVICE CAPABLE OF CONTROLLING MEASURING POSITION - An optical coherence tomography device (OCT) is capable of controlling a distance between an eye to be examined (object) and the OCT and accurately center-aligning the eye. A mire ring optical system emits a measuring mire ring light to an object to be examined. A dichroic mirror separates an optical path of illumination light reflected from the object from the optical path of the signal light originating from the tomographic image formation section and delivers a reflected image to an image formation section and a tomographic image formation section. An objective lens condenses light reflected from the object, and a controller calculates movement distance of the OCT from the difference between a position of the image of the mire ring light and a position of an optical axis of the OCT The OCT is then moved according to the calculated movement. | 09-11-2014 |
20140268166 | OCT Medical Imaging System Using Gain Waveguide Array Swept Source - An optical coherence tomography system uses an optical source that comprises a series of gain waveguides that generate light at the frequencies at which the interference signal is to be sampled. In this way, the optical source generates a discretely tuned optical signal. This has the advantage that the tuning can be directly controlled by a controller that is also used to synchronize the sampling of the interference signal. This avoids the need for separate frequency clock synchronization. In embodiments, the gain waveguides are fabricated from one or more semiconductor edge emitting bars. In some implementations, the gain waveguides comprise periodic structures that define the frequency of operation of the waveguide. However in other implementations, the combiner comprises a dispersive element, such as a diffractive grating, that provides frequency specific feedback to each waveguide. | 09-18-2014 |
20140268167 | Calibration and Image Processing Devices, Methods, and Systems - In part, the invention relates to systems and methods of calibrating a plurality of frames generated with respect to a blood vessel as a result of a pullback of an intravascular imaging probe being pullback through the vessel. A calibration feature disposed in the frames that changes between a subset of the frames can be used to perform calibration. Calibration can be performed post-pullback. Various filters and image processing techniques can be used to identify one or more feature in the frames including, without limitation, a calibration feature, a guidewire, a side branch, a stent strut, a lumen of the blood vessel, and other features. The feature can be displayed using a graphic user interface. | 09-18-2014 |
20140268168 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND TWO-PHOTON LUMINESCENCE IMAGING - Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure include a combined catheter-based optical coherence tomography-two-photon luminescence (OCT-TPL) imaging system. Exemplary embodiments further include methods to detect, and further characterize the distribution of cellular components (e.g., macrophage, collagen/elastin fiber, lipid droplet) in thin-cap fibroatheromas with high spatial resolution in vivo. | 09-18-2014 |
20140268169 | WIDELY TUNABLE SWEPT SOURCE - A high-speed, single-mode, high power, reliable and manufacturable wavelength-tunable light source operative to emit wavelength tunable radiation over a wavelength range contained in a wavelength span between about 950 nm and about 1150 nm, including a vertical cavity laser (VCL), the VCL having a gain region with at least one compressively strained quantum well containing Indium, Gallium, and Arsenic. | 09-18-2014 |
20140285810 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING MESOSCOPIC SPECTRALLY ENCODED TOMOGRAPHY CO-REGISTERED WITH OPTICAL FREQUENCY DOMAIN IMAGING AND/OR SPECTRALLY ENCODED CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY - An apparatus for illuminating a sample(s) can be provided. For example, a first arrangement can transmit a first electro-magnetic radiation and a second electro-magnetic radiation; the first and second electro-magnetic radiations can have different wavelengths from one another. The first arrangement can transmit the first and second electro-magnetic radiations to different spatial locations on the sample(s). A second arrangement(s) can be configured to receive a third radiation(s) provided from the sample(s), the third radiation(s) can be associated with an interaction of the first and second electro-magnetic radiations in the sample(s). A processing third arrangement can be configured to receive, from the second arrangement, at least one fourth radiation that can be based on the third radiation(s), and generate information regarding a sub-surface portion(s) of the sample(s) based on the fourth radiation. | 09-25-2014 |
20140285811 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY WITH MULTIPLE SAMPLE ARMS - A multiplexed OCT imaging system includes a plurality of sample arms, an imaging engine, and an optical controller. The sample arms are optically coupled to the imaging engine via the optical controller; the optical controller multiplexes optical signals from the sample arms to permit some of the sample arms to operate sequentially or simultaneously. | 09-25-2014 |
20140285812 | ATTACHING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEMS ONTO SMARTPHONES - A multi-modal imaging and optical property measurement device that is integrated into an interferometer. Data acquired by the multiple imaging modalities in parallel include measurements of single-scattered, multiple-scattered, and diffuse light that enable characterization of different ranges within different depth regions in the sample. The system includes different interferometer configurations and different imaging modalities, and has a signal-processing unit that associates and co-registers interferometric, multi-spectral, and polarization sensitive measurements to derive and analyze optical properties of a sample and enhance an image display of the sample. | 09-25-2014 |
20140293289 | Method for Generating Two-Dimensional Images From Three-Dimensional Optical Coherence Tomography Interferogram Data - Methods for generating optical coherence tomography intensity maps are provided. A beam of light is generated and divided along a sample path and a reference path. The sample path beam of light is directed to locations in an X-Y plane. Light returned from each of the sample path and the reference path is received. Sets of outputs are generated, each corresponding to light intensities received at different wavelengths of the light source when the beam of light is directed at a particular X-Y plane location, the light intensities including information about a light reflectance distribution within an object in a depth direction Z at the particular X-Y plane location. A set of outputs generated from directing the beam of light at a particular X-Y plane location is high-pass filtered to generate a set of filtered outputs suitable for generating a two-dimensional image intensity map of the object. | 10-02-2014 |
20140293290 | Method and System for Compact Optical Coherence Tomography - The tunable filter placed in front of the detector to make the interferometer more sensitive and accurate for reading various samples for diagnosis. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system and apparatus of this instant application is very useful for diagnosis and management of ophthalmic diseases such as retinal diseases and glaucoma etc. Instant innovative OCT diagnostic system leverages advancements in cross technological platforms. Both the Michelson interferometric system and Mach-Zehnder interferometric system presented in this application could be used for the OCT imaging, which includes biological OCT imaging, medical OCT imaging, ophthalmic OCT imaging, corneal OCT imaging, retinal OCT imaging, and the like. | 10-02-2014 |
20140300901 | OCT PROBE USING PZT - An optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe using lead zirconate titanate (PZT). In the OCT probe using PZT, a sine wave is induced from a vibrator made of a piezoelectric element, so that an image in which the scanning range is increased can be captured due to the vibration of the vibrator. A decrease in the vibration of the vibrator can be minimized by optimizing the position where the base fixes the vibrator. | 10-09-2014 |
20140300902 | Systems for Extended Depth Frequency Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FDOCT) and Related Methods - Systems for extended depth frequency domain optical coherence tomography are provided including including a detection system configured to sample spectral elements at substantially equal frequency intervals, wherein a spectral width associated with the sampled spectral elements is not greater than one-half of the frequency interval. Related methods are also provided herein. | 10-09-2014 |
20140313515 | CORRELATION OF CONCURRENT NON-INVASIVELY ACQUIRED SIGNALS - The invention provides a method and system for non-invasive analysis, especially suitable for determining attributes of targets, such as measurement of layer thickness of tissue, or the concentration of glucose within human tissue. The invention includes an optical source and an optical processing system that provides probe and reference radiation; applies the probe beam to the target to be analyzed; re-combines the probe and reference beams interferometrically, to generate one or more concurrent interferometric signals that are detected and processed. The location within the target to which an interference signal relate is aligned and registered with respect to the target is by means of a field of light based imaging device. The invention is not limited to human tissue in vivo, nor to in vivo non-invasive analysis. | 10-23-2014 |
20140327916 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS, AND NON-TRANSITORY TANGIBLE MEDIUM - Provided is an optical coherence tomography apparatus expected to facilitate observation of reliable analyzed image data to improve inspection efficiency. The tomography apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomographic image of an object to be inspected; an identifying unit configured to identify an image display area corresponding to a part to be inspected of the object to be inspected in the tomographic image; a determination unit configured to determine a significant area and a non-significant area based on a positional relationship between a periphery of the image display area and the tomographic image; and a display control unit configured to control a display unit to display image data based on the tomographic image and data concerning the non-significant area together in a designated display form. | 11-06-2014 |
20140327917 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING POLARIZATION DATA OF POLARIZATION SENSITIVE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - A method for processing polarization data includes steps of acquiring a plurality of sets of polarization data items, converting the set of polarization data items into a representation including parameters of amplitude and phase, and averaging the converted set of polarization data items. | 11-06-2014 |
20140327918 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - Provided is an optical tomographic device including a measurement optical system that irradiates light from a light source to inside a subject and guides reflected light therefrom; a reference optical system that guides the light from the light source as reference light; a calibration optical system that irradiates at least one calibration reflecting surface with light from the light source branched from the measurement or reference optical system, and guides the reflected light reflected by the calibration reflecting surface; a light-receiving element that receives the interfering light for measurement formed by synthesizing the reflected light guided by the measurement optical system and the reference light, and the interfering light for calibration formed by synthesizing the reflected light guided by the calibration optical system and the reference light; and an arithmetic logic unit that corrects the received interfering light for measurement by using an analysis result obtained by analyzing the received the interfering light for calibration. | 11-06-2014 |
20140340689 | Frequency-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography with Extended Field-of-View and Reduction of Aliasing Artifacts - The present disclosure provides an OCT imaging system to reduce or eliminate frequency-domain aliasing artifacts. The frequency is shifted using a carrier frequency to define a sampling range substantially centered on the carrier frequency. An image of the sample is generated from a displayed imaging range that consists of a subset of the frequencies within the sampling range. Furthermore, the system may be configured to determine the carrier frequency such that a Nyquist frequency corresponding to the shifted frequency is extended beyond either an upper or a lower bound of an OCT quality envelope corresponding to the first portion of light. Additionally, the carrier frequency may be determined such that a lower bound of the OCT quality envelope is greater or less than a zero-frequency DC limit. | 11-20-2014 |
20140368827 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS, OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHY METHOD, AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS - Provided is an optical tomography apparatus acquiring high-quality tomographic images even if light source characteristic is different between sweeps in first and second directions, when acquiring the image by reciprocating sweep. The optical tomography apparatus includes: a wavelength swept light source device; a splitting-combining unit splitting light from the device into measurement and reference light, and combining return light from an object to be measured by the measurement light and the reference light; and an image processing unit acquiring a tomographic image of the object based on combined light. The device includes a reciprocating sweep light source device performing a first wavelength sweep from short to long wavelength and a second wavelength sweep from long to short wavelength. The processing unit acquires first and second tomographic images based on signals acquired by these wavelength sweeps for the same site, and combines the tomographic images to acquire the tomographic image. | 12-18-2014 |
20140368828 | Electro-Optical Silicon-Based Phase Modulator with Null Residual Amplitude Modulation - Systems and methods are presented for modulating a beam of radiation, such that the modulated beam exhibits substantially null residual amplitude modulation (RAM). An electro-optical modulator is presented that includes a waveguide, a first region associated with the waveguide and a second region associated with the waveguide. The waveguide is designed to guide a beam of radiation. A first electric potential applied to the first region causes a first modulation to the beam of radiation while a second electric potential applied to the second region causes a second modulation to the beam of radiation. The first modulation combined with the second modulation provides substantially null residual amplitude modulation of the beam of radiation. | 12-18-2014 |
20140376000 | INTEGRATED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Disclosed herein are optical integration technologies, designs, systems and methods directed toward Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and other interferometric optical sensor, ranging, and imaging systems wherein such systems, methods and structures employ tunable optical sources, coherent detection and other structures on a single or multichip monolithic integration. In contrast to contemporary, prior-art OCT systems and structures that employ simple, miniature optical bench technology using small optical components positioned on a substrate, systems and methods according to the present disclosure employ one or more photonic integrated circuits (PICs), use swept-source techniques, and employ a widely tunable optical source(s). | 12-25-2014 |
20140376001 | INTEGRATED OPTICAL SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS UTILIZING TUNABLE OPTICAL SOURCES AND COHERENT DETECTION AND PHASED ARRAY FOR IMAGING, RANGING, SENSING, COMMUNICATIONS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS - Disclosed herein are optical integration technologies, designs, systems and methods directed toward Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and other interferometric optical sensor, ranging, and imaging systems wherein such systems, methods and structures employ tunable optical sources, coherent detection and other structures on a single or multichip monolithic integration. In contrast to contemporary, prior-art OCT systems and structures that employ simple, miniature optical bench technology using small optical components positioned on a substrate, systems and methods according to the present disclosure employ one or more photonic integrated circuits (PICs), use swept-source techniques, and employ a widely tunable optical source(s). | 12-25-2014 |
20150009507 | SWEPT SOURCE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND METHOD FOR STABILIZING PHASE THEREOF - In an embodiment, a computer | 01-08-2015 |
20150009508 | WAVELENGTH-TUNABLE LIGHT SOURCE - An external cavity semiconductor laser light source comprises includes a semiconductor gain device operable to provide light amplification; a wavelength selection element including a diffraction grating; and light re-directors. The gain device, light re-directors and grating are arranged so that an optical resonator is established for light portions emitted by the gain device and diffracted by the diffraction grating. The resonator is an external cavity laser resonator. The light source is capable of varying an angle of incidence of radiation circulating in the resonator onto wavelength selection element to select a resonator radiation wavelength dependent on the angle of incidence. | 01-08-2015 |
20150029512 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL APPARATUS - A surface emitting laser comprises an upper reflecting mirror, a lower reflecting mirror, and an active layer located between those mirrors. A cavity of the surface emitting laser consists of the upper reflecting mirror and the lower reflecting mirror. In the surface emitting laser, a plurality of individual light receiving portions is located in an optical path inside the cavity in order to detect a laser beam. | 01-29-2015 |
20150029513 | SYSTEMS, METHODS AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIUM WHICH PROVIDE MICROSCOPIC IMAGES OF AT LEAST ONE ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE AT A PARTICULAR RESOLUTION - Exemplary embodiments of systems and methods can be provided which can generate data associated with at least one portion of a sample. For example, at least one first radiation can be forwarded to the portion through at least one optical arrangement. At least one second radiation can be received from the portion which is based on the first radiation. Based on an interaction between the optical arrangement and the first radiation and/or the second radiation, the optical arrangement can have a first transfer function. Further, it is possible to forward at least one third radiation to the portion through such optical arrangement (or through another optical arrangement), and receive at least one fourth radiation from the portion which is based on the third radiation. Based on an interaction between the optical arrangement (or the other optical arrangement) and the third radiation and/or the fourth radiation, the optical arrangement (or the other optical arrangement) can have a second transfer function. The first transfer function can be at least partially different from the second transfer function. The data can be generated based on the second and fourth radiations. | 01-29-2015 |
20150036146 | OCT PROBES AND OCT OPTICAL PROBE COMPONENT FOR USE THEREIN - An OCT optical probe component comprising: A rod having a first end and a second end, a lens situated proximate to the second end of the rod, the lens having a surface with an inner zone a, and an outer zone b, wherein the inner zone a is associated with the focal length fla, and said outer zone b is associated with the focal length flb, such that optical probe component is multi-focal, the optical probe capable of imaging at multiple image planes, via the lens of an object adjacent to the first end of the rod, wherein the at least two images are separated by a distance d, wherein d>1 mm. | 02-05-2015 |
20150043002 | Dielectric-Enhanced Metal Coatings for MEMS Tunable Filters - The present invention concerns the use of hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings as the end reflectors of laser cavities and/or in the mirror structures used in other optical resonators, such as Fabry-Perot tunable filters, along with the use of such Fabry-Perot tunable filters in wavelength swept sources such as lasers. Hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings have reflectivity spectra that can be broader than pure dielectric coatings, offer optical reflectivities higher than metal, as high as pure dielectric coatings, eliminate mirror transmission that can cause parasitic light reflections, and use fewer layers and thus have lower mass and higher mechanical resonant frequency for movable mirror applications An important characteristic of these coatings concerns the non-reflected light. Pure dielectric coatings offer high reflectivity, while the non-reflected portion of the light is transmitted by the coating to the substrate, for example. When metal is added to the optical coating, the non-reflected portion of the light is absorbed by the metal and is not transmitted to the substrate or outside the cavity. Hybrid metal-dielectric coatings have broader and more uniform spectral reflection. Tunable lasers with performance enhanced by the hybrid metal-dielectric coatings can be used in optical coherence tomography and spectroscopic analysis applications. | 02-12-2015 |
20150043003 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME - Disclosed is an optical coherence tomography which includes: a light source unit for outputting light; a light splitting unit for splitting the light, which is reflected from a sample, into visible light and OCT source beam; a detection unit for detecting the visible light and the OCT source beam; and a display unit for displaying a first image based on the detected visible light and a second image based on the detected OCT source beam. | 02-12-2015 |
20150049339 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL IMAGING VIA SPECTRAL ENCODING - Exemplary method, apparatus and arrangement can be provided for obtaining information associated with a sample such as a portion of an anatomical structure. The information can be generated using first data, which can be based on a signal obtained from a location on the sample, and second data, where the second data can be obtained by combining a second signal received from the sample with a third reference signal. An image of a portion of the sample can also be generated based on the information. For example, the first data can be associated with spectral encoding microscopy data, and the second data can be associated with optical coherence tomography data. | 02-19-2015 |
20150049340 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY WITH AN EXTENDED DYNAMIC RANGE - The invention lies in the field of optical metrology and relates to optical coherence tomography (OCT). In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus and a method for the depth-dependent adaptation of the dynamic range of an OCT system to the profile of the backscattered power to be measured. The dynamic range of the measuring method can therefore be decoupled from the dynamic range of the analogue/digital converter used. The invention is used, in particular, in the characterization of strongly scattering or strongly absorbing biological or technical samples. | 02-19-2015 |
20150049341 | METHOD FOR DRIVING LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS AND SURFACE EMITTING LASER, AND IMAGE ACQUIRING APPARATUS - A light source apparatus includes a surface emitting laser including a movable mirror, a mirror arranged opposite to the movable mirror, and an active layer arranged between the two mirrors, a mirror driving unit configured to move the movable mirror to a position where laser oscillation is not performed, a laser driving unit configured to inject current into the surface emitting laser, a storage unit configured to store position information of the movable mirror, the position information including a mirror position where laser oscillation is not performed and a mirror position where laser oscillation is performed, and a control unit configured to control the laser driving unit and to determine start timing of the current injection into the surface emitting laser according to the position information output from the storage unit. | 02-19-2015 |
20150049342 | SURFACE LIGHT-EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A surface light-emitting laser comprising an upper reflector, a lower reflector, and an active layer interposed therebetween, wherein when an optical distance between the upper reflector and the lower reflector is referred to as a first distance, and an optical distance between the lower reflector and the active layer is referred to as a second distance, positions of at least selected two of a group including the upper reflector, the lower reflector, and the active layer are changed so that the ratio between the first distance and the second distance is maintained within a range of ±25% from a certain value. | 02-19-2015 |
20150055136 | METHOD FOR REDUCING THE DIMENSIONALITY OF A SPATIALLY REGISTERED SIGNAL DERIVED FROM THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF A SAMPLE, AND DEVICE THEREFOR - At least one embodiment of the method is designed to create a two-dimensional image of a three-dimensional sample. The method comprises the following steps: provision of a wave-length-tunable light source ( | 02-26-2015 |
20150055137 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Optical coherence tomography imaging systems and methods are disclosed. According to an aspect, an optical coherence tomography imaging system includes a scanner configured to obtain images and to convert the images to electrical signals. The system also includes a computing device comprising an OCT module configured to receive the electrical signals, to apply an OCT imaging technique, and to generate imaging data. | 02-26-2015 |
20150062589 | OPTICAL MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND OPTICAL MEASUREMENT METHOD - A small and inexpensive optical measurement apparatus is provided in which noise due to optical interference such as inter-layer crosstalk or speckle is suppressed. The optical measurement apparatus includes a light source to emit laser light, a high-frequency superimposing unit to superimpose a high-frequency current on a driving current to drive the light source, a light branching element to branch the laser light into signal light and reference light, an objective lens to condense and irradiate the signal light on a measurement object, a condensing position scanning unit to scan a condensing position of the signal light, a light path length adjusting unit to adjust a light path length difference between the signal light and the reference light, an interference optical system which combines the signal light reflected or scattered by the measurement object and the reference light, and generates a plurality of interference lights different from each other in phase relation, and a photodetector to detect the interference lights. | 03-05-2015 |
20150062590 | EVALUATION OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC DATA PRIOR TO SEGMENTATION - An efficient method of evaluating the level of contrast of an OCT dataset is presented. The method develops a metric to segregate useful and not-so-useful data in one or more OCT B-scans, in order to reduce spurious subsequent analyses of the data by downstream segmentation algorithms. It is designed to be fast and efficient and is applied to determining autofocus of an OCT instrument real-time and in identifying a real image from its complex conjugate twin. | 03-05-2015 |
20150062591 | APPARATUSES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS FOR LOW-COHERENCE INTERFEROMETRY (LCI) - Embodiments described herein involve low-coherence interferometry (LCI) techniques which enable acquisition of structural and depth information regarding a sample of interest. In one embodiment, a “swept-source” (SS) light source is used in LCI to obtain structural and depth information about a sample. The swept-source light source can be used to generate a reference signal and a signal directed towards a sample. Light scattered from the sample is returned as a result and mixed with the reference signal to achieve interference and thus provide structural information regarding the sample. Depth information about the sample can be obtained using Fourier domain concepts as well as time domain techniques. Several LCI embodiments employing a swept-source light source are disclosed herein. In another embodiment disclosed herein, an a/LCI system and method is provided that is based on a time domain system and employs a broadband light source. The systems and processes disclosed herein can be used for biomedical applications, including measuring cellular morphology in tissues and in vitro as well as diagnosing intraepithelial neoplasia, and assessing the efficacy of chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. | 03-05-2015 |
20150062592 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOTILITY CONTRAST IMAGING - A system for motility contrast imaging a biological target within tissue comprising a CCD array; an illumination source for generating an incoming beam; a first beam splitter for receiving the incoming beam and producing an object beam and a reference beam; a second beam splitter for illuminating a multitude of biological targets with the object beam and for directing backscattered object beams towards the CCD array; a computer-controlled delay stage for zero-path-matching the reference beam to the backscattered object beams; a reference beam that intersects the backscattered object beams at an angle to produce a series of interference fringes that modulate Fourier-domain information; and a computer for receiving a time series of Fourier-domain information. The interference fringes between the backscattered object beam and the reference beam are recorded by the CCD array and passed to the computer which constructs a digital hologram at successive times. | 03-05-2015 |
20150070708 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING OF MATERIAL HEALTH ESPECIALLY IN THE FILLETS OF A COMPOSITE PART - The disclosure relates to devices for the completely automated detection and characterization of a resin flash in a part consisting of a composite material, the device including an OCT measuring head including an OCT measuring module, a manipulator capable of moving the OCT head in space, a control for the manipulator, and a computer including a memory for acquiring the definition of the geometry of the area to be tested, for recording the measurements, for storing a criterion file, and for performing calculations pertaining to the comparison of the recording with the criterion file. The disclosure also relates to a method for detection and characterization of such a resin flash. | 03-12-2015 |
20150077757 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGE ACQUIRING DEVICE - An optical tomographic image acquiring device which can suppress the occurrence of an artifact, and which can obtain an exact optical tomographic image of a measurement object includes a light source, a detector, an analysis unit, a circulator, a coupler, condensing lenses, optical fibers, and a reference mirror. Let Δk be a maximum value of intervals in wavenumber of lights received by adjacent two light receiving elements in the detector, an optical path length L | 03-19-2015 |
20150085293 | Portable system for simultaneously operating optical far field imaging, tomography and spectroscopy - A portable optical tomography design for performing elastographic deformation mapping of tissues comprises a coherence light source providing one light beam; a scanning microscope comprising a waveguide having two terminals, a coupler disposed on one terminal, an actuating member connected to the waveguide or the coupler, a first optical reflection member, a beam splitter, and a Fourier-domain spectrometer. The waveguide is actuated by the actuator to traverse a horizontal and vertical motion to prescribe a two-dimensional plane for scanning the tissue sample. Optical fiber is used to connect above elements therebetween. The Fourier-domain spectrometer is coupled with the beam splitter and comprises a second reflection member and an interferogram capturing member. An interferogram produced from the Fourier-domain spectrometer is carried over to a digital signal processor and subsequently an optical coherence tomography image device to generate a three-dimensional image for the scanned tissue. | 03-26-2015 |
20150085294 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING OPTICAL COMPONENTS AND THEIR MISALIGNMENT IN OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS - Systems and methods are presented which allow the detection of the presence, type, and misalignment of optical components in the optical train of an optical coherence tomographic instrument to be determined from the use of OCT depth information. | 03-26-2015 |
20150085295 | LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME AS LIGHT SOURCE - A light emitting device includes an optical waveguide including an active layer having at least two gain peaks and a pair of clad layers sandwiching the active layer and electrodes disposed in a guided wave direction of the optical waveguide. | 03-26-2015 |
20150085296 | PHOTOACOUSTIC MICROSCOPE - Provided is a photoacoustic microscope, including: an objective lens configured to collect excitation light into a specimen, the excitation light in a wavelength range that is absorbed by an object to be observed; a detection light optical system configured to (i) form an image of a point light source of detection light in a middle portion of a pupil of the objective lens, the detection light having a wavelength that is different from the wavelength range of the excitation light, and (ii) emit the detection light onto the specimen by means of the objective lens; an optical scanning unit configured to deflect the excitation light and the detection light that enter the objective lens, for scanning the specimen; and a light detection unit configured to detect reflected light of the detection light that is reflected by the specimen. | 03-26-2015 |
20150092195 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR BIDIRECTIONAL FUNCTIONAL OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - Methods for determining improving quantitative and qualitative motion contrast information collected with optical coherence tomography (OCT) data are presented. In one embodiment, flow within a cross-sectional area of a sample is calculated independent of the Doppler and en face angles using a bidirectional OCT system. In another embodiment, motion contrast images are improved by averaging motion contrast information collected from a bidirectional OCT system. | 04-02-2015 |
20150092196 | OPTICAL MEASUREMENT APPARATUS - A clear image of a target to be measured is obtained by suppressing influence of a reflected beam from the surface of the target or a measurement target holding unit. A laser beam emitted from a light source is split into a signal beam, reference beam, and control beam. The signal beam is focused onto the target with an objective lens, so the target is irradiated with the signal beam. The amount of defocus of the control beam is controlled with a defocus control unit, and the phase of the control beam is controlled with a phase control unit. A signal beam reflected or scattered by the target is combined with the control beam to generate a controlled signal beam, and the controlled signal beam is combined with the reference beam. A plurality of interference beams with different phases are generated with interference optics, and phase diversity detection is performed. | 04-02-2015 |
20150092197 | DEVICE FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - In certain embodiments, a device for optical coherence tomography (OCT) includes a signal detection device and a computer arrangement. The signal detection device is designed to detect an interference signal (G(ω)) for an object to be imaged in an optical frequency range (ω). The computer arrangement is designed to determine intermediate signals (G | 04-02-2015 |
20150103355 | Compact Multimodality Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging Systems - Systems for imaging a sample are provided. The system includes an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging portion having an associated OCT path defined by one set of optical elements between an OCT signal delivery optical fiber and the sample; an image capture portion having an associated image capture path defined by a second set of optical elements between an image capture device and the sample, different from the OCT path; and an illuminator portion having an associated illumination path defined by a third set of optical elements between an illumination source and the sample. The OCT path, the image capture path, and the illuminator path have at least one optical element in common, and the respective paths differ from each other by at least one optical element. The OCT path and the image capture path share a common intermediate conjugate image plane. Focal control is achieved for the OCT path and the image capture path concurrently through adjustment of one or more common optical elements distal to the common intermediate conjugate plane, such that focal control requires no differential adjustment between optical elements not in common to both paths. | 04-16-2015 |
20150109621 | SWEPT SOURCE OCT SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH PHASE-LOCKED DETECTION - A swept source OCT system and related method are disclosed. The system comprises a control device for operating a tunable light source in response to an electronic sweep control signal such that the tunable light source carries out wave length sweeps with a repetition rate f | 04-23-2015 |
20150109622 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY METHOD - An optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a light source unit that emits light including lights emitted from swept sources, which have different center wavelengths and partially overlapping output spectral ranges, the lights having the respective output spectral ranges and being temporally separated from each other, a dividing unit that is connected to the light source unit and that divides the light emitted from the light source unit, a wavelength selecting unit that is connected to the dividing unit and that selects light having a predetermined wavelength from a range in which the output spectral ranges overlap, a time detecting unit that is connected to the wavelength selecting unit and that detects times at which the swept sources oscillate at the predetermined wavelength, and a wavenumber detecting unit that is connected to the dividing unit and that detects times at which the lights from the swept sources have the same wavenumber. | 04-23-2015 |
20150109623 | TRUE-SPECTROSCOPIC DUAL MODE HIGH RESOLUTION FULL-FIELD OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY USING LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICES - The invention is a system and method for obtaining interference and optical coherence tomography images from an object. The system comprises a wideband source, an optical mask for extending the depth of field, a a liquid crystal tunable filter and a phase modulator all of which are uniquely integrated in a Linnik interferometer microscope. The system has several imaging modes: in the time domain mode the device may operate either with wideband illumination or with quasi monochromatic illumination. The monochromatic illumination can be varied in wavelength along a wide spectral region thus allowing true spectroscopic imaging in high resolution and with high speed. Due to the liquid crystal tunable filter and the optical mask, the frequency domain mode is also accessible. The method of obtaining the optical coherence tomography images, both in the time and in the frequency domains, using the liquid crystal retarder is described in detail. | 04-23-2015 |
20150116725 | TECHNIQUE FOR CONTROLLING A CORNEAL ABLATION LASER - A device for optical coherence tomography comprises a light generator, a dispersive medium, an optical coupler and a detector. The light generator is adapted to generate input pulses of coherent light, each input pulse having an input pulse width. The dispersive medium has an input that is optically coupled to the light generator and an output for output pulses. The dispersive medium is adapted to stretch the input pulse width to an output pulse width by chromatic dispersion. The optical coupler is adapted to couple the output pulses from the output into a reference arm and into a sample arm. The optical coupler is adapted to superimpose light returning from the reference arm and from the sample arm. The detector is adapted to detect an intensity of interference of the superimposed light with a temporal resolution of a fraction of the output pulse width. | 04-30-2015 |
20150116726 | ARRANGEMENTS, DEVICES, ENDOSCOPES, CATHETERS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING OPTICAL IMAGING BY SIMULTANEOUSLY ILLUMINATING AND DETECTING MULTIPLE POINTS ON A SAMPLE - Devices, arrangements, endoscopes, catheters and methods adapted to propagate at least one electro-magnetic radiation are provided. In particular, a waveguide apparatus specifically configured may be utilized to split the electro-magnetic radiation into a plurality of beams that are intended to illuminate a biological sample, and impart a unique associated characteristic unto each of the beams. The beams may be intended to illuminate a biological sample at distinct locations, and impart a unique associated characteristic unto each of the beams. In addition, a control apparatus may be provided which is configured to control at least one of the fibers and which can be input to the fibers so as to modify the unique associated characteristics of the beams being propagated along the fibers, and thereby modify the characteristics of the distinct locations on the sample. | 04-30-2015 |
20150124261 | Multi-Channel Optical Coherence Tomography - An optical coherence tomography apparatus includes a multi-beam configuration unit comprising at least a first optical path having a first numerical aperture and a second optical path having a second numerical aperture. The multi-beam configuration unit orients the second optical path in a selected orientation in space relative to the first optical path. A scan system illuminates a sample with non-polarized light received from the multi-beam configuration unit and directs light returning from the sample to the first optical path and the second optical path. The multi-beam configuration unit directs light returning from the sample, along the first optical path and the second optical path, to an optical pathway leading to a processing system. The processing system performs optical coherence tomography motion analysis based on interference between light returning from the sample and a first reference signal. | 05-07-2015 |
20150124262 | CONTROL APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD - A control apparatus includes an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a measurement object with a measuring beam, a restriction unit configured to restrict the measuring beam from being incident on the measurement object and to reflect or scatter the measuring beam, and a polarization control unit configured to control, based on the measuring beam reflected or scattered by the restriction unit, polarization of the measuring beam. | 05-07-2015 |
20150131104 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GENERATING TOMOGRAPHY IMAGE - Provided are a tomography image generating method and an apparatus for generating a tomography image. The method of generating a tomography image includes, in response to a depth scan operation performed on an object, generating a candidate tomography image by using an interference signal acquired by the performed depth scan operation, determining a pixel pattern by using the generated candidate tomography image; and when the depth scan operation performed on the object is completed, generating a final tomography image of the object by using a finally determined pixel pattern. The generating the candidate tomography image and the determining are parallel processed by at least one processor during the depth scan operation being repeatedly performed. | 05-14-2015 |
20150131105 | BROADBAND WAVELENGTH-SWEPT LIGHT SOURCE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS EMPLOYING THE SAME - A light source system includes: a plurality of gain mediums configured to output a corresponding plurality of lights having different center wavelengths from each other; a first light source part configured to connect the plurality of gain mediums to each other in parallel and emit the plurality of lights; a wavelength-swept filter unit configured to sweep wavelengths of the plurality of lights output by the plurality of gain mediums and compensate for spectroscopic optical paths of the plurality of lights; a second light source part configured to connect the first light source part to the wavelength-swept filter unit in series and feed the wavelength-swept lights back to the plurality of gain mediums; a combiner configured to combine the wavelength-swept lights and output a combined wavelength-swept; and a controller configured to control an output magnitude and a wavelength region of the wavelength-swept lights. | 05-14-2015 |
20150138562 | WAVELENGTH-VARIABLE LASER INCLUDING SOA AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE LASER - Provided is a wavelength-variable laser including an SOA which controls not a shape of a gain spectrum itself in the SOA but a shape of a gain spectrum obtained in the entire SOA to enable inhibition of output fluctuations. The wavelength-variable laser including an SOA includes: a wavelength selection mechanism for selectively reflecting a wavelength; an SOA for amplifying light, the SOA being configured to reflect light that enters a first end facet by a second end facet opposite to the first facet and to cause light amplified in an active layer to exit from the first facet; and a reflecting member provided outside the SOA, the reflecting member forming a resonator in a pair with the second facet, in which the second facet has a multilayer film to control of a shape of gain spectrum obtained in the entire SOA, the multilayer film having a reflectance depending on wavelength. | 05-21-2015 |
20150138563 | POLARIZATION SENSITIVE OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - This disclosure relates to an OCT apparatus configured to generate to electromagnetic (e.g., optical) signals having two different polarization states. Two or more silicon optical amplifiers (SOAs) can be configured to maintain a respective polarization state in an optical input signal provided from a light source (e.g., a broadband light source). The different polarization states can be combined by an optical combiner (e.g., a polarization maintaining fiber coupler) and provided to drive a reference arm and a sample arm implemented in an OCT system. | 05-21-2015 |
20150138564 | NON-DESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR DISPLAY PANEL AND METHOD, AND NON-DESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION APPARATUS THEREOF - A non-destructive inspection apparatus includes a light source generating light, an optical coupler which divides the light, irradiates the divided light to a reference part and a sample part, generates coherent light, and transmits the coherent light to a detecting part, the reference part which phase-scans the irradiated light and reflects the light, the sample part which irradiates the light incident from the optical coupler to a display panel, and scans and reflects the light reflected from the display panel, the detecting part which obtains an image signal of the display panel from the coherent light, a transferring part which moves a position of the sample part, and the control part which generates an image of the display panel based on the image signal of the display panel transmitted from the detecting part and detects a foreign substance, and controls movement of the transferring part. | 05-21-2015 |
20150146209 | USE OF BRAGG GRATINGS WITH COHERENT OTDR - An interferometer and a method of monitoring a downhole environment are described. The interferometer includes a coherent light source to emit pulses of light on a fiber, and a plurality of reflectors arranged on the fiber to reflect light from the coherent light source, each of the plurality of reflectors comprising broad band fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), the fiber being rigidly disposed within a cable that is rigidly attached in the downhole environment. The interferometer also includes a processor to process a reflection signal resulting from the light reflected by two or more of the plurality of reflectors. | 05-28-2015 |
20150146210 | WAVELENGTH TUNABLE LIGHT SOURCE - To provide a wavelength tunable light source which can both ensure operation speed and reduce a drive voltage. A wavelength tunable light source according to the present invention includes a pair of reflectors at least one of which is a movable reflector, an active layer provided between the pair of reflectors, and a beam on part of which the movable reflector is formed and which is supported by a support member. The beam includes a blade part projecting between the support member and the movable reflector in a direction intersecting a stretching direction of the beam, and a center of gravity of the beam in the stretching direction is located at a distance less than half a length of the beam in the stretching direction. | 05-28-2015 |
20150146211 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY PROBE - A monolithic optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe is provided. The probe includes a first section having a groove, an optical fiber in the groove, and a second section having a reflective surface. The optical fiber is in optical communication with the reflective surface. | 05-28-2015 |
20150146212 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A surface emitting laser includes a lower reflector, an active layer, a gap portion, an upper reflector, and a driving unit. The lower reflector, the active layer, the gap portion, and the upper reflector are arranged in that order. The surface emitting laser is capable of varying a wavelength of emitted light by changing a distance between the upper and lower reflectors. The driving unit moves one of the upper and lower reflectors in an optical axis direction of the emitted light. At least one of the upper and lower reflectors includes a stacked body in which first layers and second layers are alternately stacked, the second layers having a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the first layers, outermost layers of the stacked body being the first layers, and a third layer provided on at least one end of the stacked body. | 05-28-2015 |
20150292861 | Multiple Reference OCT System - The invention provides for generating a set of signature signals that correspond to a range of depths within a target. These signature signals can include multiple individual reference signals and be can modified to compensate for specific characteristics of the target. In the preferred embodiment the members of the set of signature signals are correlated with data sets by phase rotating individual reference signals to determine maximum and minimum correlation and thereby enabling determination of the scattering characteristic of the target at each depth. Also a pilot signal is monitored to dynamically determine the phase relationship between individual reference signals and thereby avail of phase sensitive detection techniques to enhance SNR at deeper regions where multiple individual reference signals exist. | 10-15-2015 |
20150294468 | OPTICAL IMAGE MEASURING APPARATUS - An optical image measuring apparatus including an optical system, image forming part, controller, and composite-cross-sectional-image forming part. The optical system includes a scanner changing an irradiation position of signal light on an object and a focus position changing part changing a focus position of the signal light. The optical system detects interference light of returned light of the respective signal light from the object and reference light. The image forming part forms a cross-sectional image based on detection results of plural interference light corresponding to plural irradiation positions of the signal light. The controller controls the optical system to irradiate the signal light onto the plural irradiation positions repeatedly while changing focus position. The composite-cross-sectional-image forming part forms one composite cross-sectional image based on two or more of the cross-sectional images based on results of repetitive irradiation of the signal light. | 10-15-2015 |
20150295126 | PHOTONIC DEVICE AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE PHOTONIC DEVICE AS LIGHT SOURCE - Provided is a photonic device in which emission intensity in a short wavelength region is suppressed even in the case of increasing carrier injection density so as to obtain a wide spectrum half-maximum width as well as a high output. The photonic device includes: a first cladding layer; a second cladding layer; and an active layer including an emitting layer and a barrier layer and being provided between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer, the emitting layer emitting light in a spectrum having a center wavelength λc and a spectrum half-maximum width Δλ, in which at least one of the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer includes a light absorbing part for absorbing light having a wavelength of λs or less represented by the following Expression (1): | 10-15-2015 |
20150300806 | System and Method for Resampling Optical Coherence Tomography Signals in Segments - A system and method for resampling interference datasets of samples in segments, in a swept-source based Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system. The resampling is preferably performed within a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) of the OCT system, the FPGA preferably having Fourier-transform based signal processing capabilities such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) cores. Resampling the interference datasets in segments provides a flexible approach to resampling that makes efficient use of system resources such as FFT cores. By resampling the interference datasets in segments, the system adjusts to an increased number of resampling points as the imaging depth upon the sample increases. The OCT system then combines the segments using overlapping values of the resampling points between adjacent resampling regions of the resampled segments, and performs Fourier Transform based post-processing on the combined segments to obtain axial profiles of the sample at desired imaging depths. | 10-22-2015 |
20150330769 | OCT APPARATUS, SS-OCT APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF ACQUIRING SS-OCT IMAGE - The OCT apparatus includes a first light source unit changing an optical wavelength, a second light source unit changing an optical wavelength over a wavelength range different from and partially overlapping with that of the first light source unit, a signal generating unit receiving light from the light source units to generate signals at an equal wave number interval, an interference optical system splitting the light from the first and second light source units into illumination light illuminating an object and reference light, to generate first and second interference light, a light detecting unit receiving interference light, and an information acquiring unit acquiring a tomographic image of the object by linking temporal waveforms of intensities of the first and second interference light. The information acquiring unit links the temporal waveforms of the intensities of the first and second interference light based on the signal generated from the signal generating unit. | 11-19-2015 |
20150345931 | APPARATUS FOR OPTICAL INTERFEROMETRIC MEASUREMENT AND METHOD FOR THE SAME - An optical interferometric measurement apparatus includes an interference optical system to output a monitoring interference signal and a measurement interference signal in accordance with light emitted from a wavelength-swept light source, and a controller to measure a movement of an object to be measured. The controller has a storage to store monitoring data acquired by sampling the monitoring interference signal in each period of the light source and measurement data acquired by sampling the measurement interference signal in each period of the light source and Fourier transformation unit to apply Fourier transform to the measurement data. The controller determines a phase of the measurement interference signal based on the Fourier-transformed measurement data and measures the movement of the object based on the phase. | 12-03-2015 |
20150349198 | SEMICONDUCTOR LIGHT EMITTING ELEMENT AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS - The semiconductor light emitting element, includes a multiple quantum well active layer including a first quantum well and a second quantum well having well widths different from each other. Well layers of the first quantum well and the second quantum well are formed of In | 12-03-2015 |
20150354939 | OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEMS AND METHODS WITH MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION TRACKING OF TRANSVERSE MOTION - An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system having magnitude and direction of motion detection has a light source, and a scanning system arranged in an optical path of the light source. The scanning system is configured to scan an illumination beam of light in a spatial pattern around each of a plurality of points of interest of an object under observation for a corresponding plurality of instants of time in which each of the plurality of points of interest are displaced from each other due to motion of at least one of the OCT system or the object under observation. The OCT system also includes an OCT detection system configured and arranged to receive at least a portion of the illumination beam of light after being at least one of reflected or scattered from said the under observation, and a signal processor configured to communicate with the OCT detection system to receive detection signals therefrom. The signal processor is configured to process the detection signals to determine both magnitude and direction of relative motion of the OCT system from a first one of the plurality of points at a first corresponding time to a second one of the plurality of points at a second corresponding time. | 12-10-2015 |
20150363630 | System and Method for Fingerprint Validation - The invention provides a system and method for rapid validation of identity from tissue using registered two dimensional and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan images. The preferred embodiment provides, for a human fingerprint, validation that the surface fingerprint matches the primary fingerprint. An alternate embodiment provides validation of “aliveness” by ascertaining blood flow. Various embodiments are taught. | 12-17-2015 |
20150369586 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus configured to image an object to be examined is provided. The apparatus includes a splitting unit configured to split light obtained by combining the returned light and the reference light into a plurality of lights having different polarization components; and a detecting unit configured to detect the plurality of lights. The apparatus further includes a correcting unit configured to correct a phase difference between different polarization components generated by an optical member provided on an optical path of the measurement light or an optical path of the reference light. | 12-24-2015 |
20150369587 | SD-OCT Flatten Coherence Length by Controlling Spatial Dispersion - A spectral domain optical coherence tomograph comprising: a light source, a beamsplitter, a reference arm, a dispersive device, and a sensor array. Wherein the dispersive device is a spatial chromatic dispersive device that spreads an interference light signal produced by the beamsplitter. Wherein each pixel in the sensor array is identified by an index i. Wherein the sensor array may be positioned relative to the dispersive device such that each pixel i detects wavelengths of the interference light having: a spectral width Δλ | 12-24-2015 |
20150380902 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY USING THE SURFACE EMITTING LASER - A surface emitting laser including a lower reflecting mirror, an active layer, and an upper reflecting mirror in that order, and having a gap portion between the active layer and the upper reflecting mirror, includes a movable portion provided on an optical path of the gap portion and having a refractive index different from a refractive index of the gap portion. A wavelength of light to be emitted is changed by changing positions in an optical-axis direction of at least two of the movable portion, the upper reflecting mirror, and the lower reflecting mirror. | 12-31-2015 |
20150380903 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY USING THE SURFACE EMITTING LASER - A surface emitting laser including a lower reflecting mirror, an active layer, and an upper reflecting mirror in that order, having an air gap between the active layer and the upper reflecting mirror, and being able to change a wavelength of light to be emitted, includes a light-intensity adjustment unit provided on an optical path of the air gap and having optical absorption or optical gain in a wavelength range of emission light of the surface emitting laser. The wavelength of the light to be emitted is changed by displacing the light-intensity adjustment unit and at least one of the upper reflecting mirror and the lower reflecting mirror. | 12-31-2015 |
20150380904 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A surface emitting laser includes a lower reflector, an active layer, and an upper reflector that are arranged in that order; an air gap provided between the active layer and the upper reflector; and a slab provided on an optical path of the air gap and having a refractive index that is higher than a refractive index of the air gap. A position of at least one of the upper reflector and the lower reflector in an optical axis direction is changed to change a wavelength of emitted light. In the case where the position of the upper reflector is changed, a center of the slab in the optical axis direction is located between any antinode of a standing wave formed in the air gap and a node of the standing wave that is adjacent to and on an upper-reflector side of the antinode. | 12-31-2015 |
20160013618 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS | 01-14-2016 |
20160018327 | Differential OCT Analysis System - A method, apparatus and system for enhanced OCT measurement is described. The invention provides for using an OCT system with two or more optical sources with different wavelengths from each other to analyze tissue and measure scattering characteristics and absorption properties of a target. Embodiments include using multiple differential states: multiple wavelengths; multiple pressure wave environments; and multiple temperatures. Embodiments also include using temperature stabilization and speckle reduction by means of subjecting the target to one or more pressure waves. | 01-21-2016 |
20160040976 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WIDE FIELD OCT IMAGING - Various embodiments of systems and methods are described herein for obtaining wide field OCT images and other types of image data from at least one portion of a sample. Various embodiments of systems, and methods are described herein for assessing a degree of differentiation for a second region of an OCT image of a tissue sample with respect to another first. Various embodiments of a sample container are also described herein for containing a tissue sample and maintaining the tissue sample in a defined orientation during imaging or handling. | 02-11-2016 |
20160040977 | METHODS OF REDUCING MOTION ARTIFACTS FOR OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY - A method for reducing motion artifacts in optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography images is disclosed. The method is applied to the intensity or complex OCT data prior to applying the motion contrast analysis and involves determining sub-pixel level shifts between at least two B-scans repeated approximately at the same location and applying the sub-pixel level shifts to the B-scans to be able to correct for motion and accurately determine motion contrast signal. A preferred embodiment includes the use of 2D cross correlations to register a series of B-scans in both the axial (z-) and lateral (x-) dimensions and a convolution approach to achieve sub-pixel level frame registration. | 02-11-2016 |
20160040978 | Smart Phone Attachment for 3-D Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging - Methods and apparatus for tomographic imaging of a sample. Low-coherence light is split into a sample path and a reference path. A steering optic recombines light in the reference path with light scattered by a sample onto a camera having an areal focal plane array of detector elements such that light in the reference path and light scattered by the sample are characterized by respectively offset propagation vectors at incidence upon the camera. A processor derives depth information from light scattered by the sample on the basis of interference fringes between light in the reference path and light scattered by the sample. The apparatus tracks lateral motion and may be hand-held or attached to a mobile device such as a smartphone, thus enabling 3-D imaging with the mobile device. | 02-11-2016 |
20160047644 | PHASE-INVERTED SIDELOBE-ANNIHILATED OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - An optical coherent tomographic imaging system includes means for introducing a 180-degree phase inversion in the interference fringes, and generating a two-peak shape point spread function (PSF) in the frequency domain for the interference-based tomographic imaging system. The system further includes means for achieving sharper resolution than the diffraction-limited spectral bandwidth in the tomographic imaging system through subtracting the two-peak shape from the original Gaussian PSF. Means are provided for removing the ghost fringes in the tomographic imaging system, which is introduced by the self-interference between the different layers of the sample arm. The apparatus is configured to realize the real-time super-resolution swept-source optical coherent tomography (OCT) such that the sensitivity of the system is enhanced by suppressing the noise floor in the frequency domain, as well as removing the ghost fringes. | 02-18-2016 |
20160069663 | SPLIT INTEGRATION MODE ACQUISITION FOR OPTIMIZED OCT IMAGING AT MULTIPLE SPEEDS - Split Integration Mode (SIM) acquisition schemes are presented that enable optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging at multiple rates. SIM enables a system and method of operation having a first mode and a second mode, wherein the fundamental acquisition rate of the detector is the same in the two modes, but wherein the generated signals in the second mode are digitally combined prior to signal processing to create a data set with an effective acquisition rate less than the fundamental acquisition rate. | 03-10-2016 |
20160069664 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC DEVICE - Provided is an optical tomographic device for simultaneously acquiring a plurality of tomographic images at a same position in a subject without narrowing a depthwise measurement range. A measurement light generator generates at least two measurement lights with different optical path lengths, superimposes the at least two measurement lights, radiates the resultant light to a subject, and splits reflected light reflected from the subject into at least two reflected lights. A reference light generator generates at least two reference lights with different optical path lengths. An interfering light generator combines the at least two reflected lights and the at least two reference lights having corresponding different optical path lengths, to generate at least two interfering lights. An interfering light detector detects the at least two interfering lights independently by at least two interfering light detectors. | 03-10-2016 |
20160070066 | Optical Buffering Methods, Apparatus, and Systems for Increasing the Repetition Rate of Tunable Light Sources - In one embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for increasing the repetition rate in a light source. The apparatus includes a first optical coupler comprising a first arm, a second arm and a third arm; a first mirror in optical communication with the second arm of the first optical coupler; and a first optical delay line having a first end in optical communication with the third arm of the first optical coupler and a second end in optical communication with a second mirror, wherein light entering the first arm of the first optical coupler leaves the first arm of the first optical coupler either delayed by an amount (τ) or substantially undelayed. | 03-10-2016 |
20160076872 | INTERFEROMETRIC DISTANCE SENSING DEVICE AND METHOD - Distance to a target is sensed using a common path interferometer, wherein a first fraction of light from a light source is collected after reflection by a partially reflective element together with reflection from a target of a second fraction of light from the light source that has been transmitted by the partially reflective element. The collected light is split in two parts, both containing a part of the first fraction and part of the reflection from the target. The parts are fed through a first and second optical branch path to an input side of a three-way optical coupler respectively. Light from at three terminals on a second side of the N way coupler is fed to respective light intensity detectors. Information representing an excess distance traveled by the first fraction from detection signals determined by the least three light intensity detectors. | 03-17-2016 |
20160084715 | OPTICAL FREQUENCY CALIBRATION METHOD - A method of calibrating an optical frequency of light emitted from a wavelength-swept light source thereby allowing it to compensate for an error of a wavelength includes performing a first process of measuring an optical frequency range of the emitted light while changing a control parameter associated with an optical frequency sweeping mechanism and determining a correspondence between the control parameter and the optical frequency range, performing a second process of measuring a maximum of a gain of an active medium included in the wavelength-swept light source and determining a correspondence between the maximum of the gain and the control parameter, performing a third process of determining a relationship between the optical frequency range of the emitted light and the control parameter corresponding to the maximum gain of the active medium, and performing a fourth process of adjusting the control parameter based on the determined relationship. | 03-24-2016 |
20160097632 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, AND NOISE REDUCTION METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR TOMOGRAPHIC IMAGES - An object is to enable removal fixed pattern noise even if the intensity of interference light changes during measurement. An image capturing apparatus comprises a light splitting unit that splits light emitted from a light source into reference light and measurement light, an interference signal detection unit that acquires an interference signal from interference light resulting from interference of the reference light and return light generated by irradiating an object to be inspected with the measurement light, a noise signal acquisition unit that acquires a noise signal containing a noise component contained in the interference light, a correction unit that corrects the intensity of one of the interference signal and the noise signal, and a noise removal unit that removes the noise component contained in the interference signal using the interference signal and the noise signal one of which is corrected. | 04-07-2016 |
20160123716 | ASSOCIATED INTERFEROMETERS USING MULTI-FIBER OPTIC DELAY LINES - An interferometer apparatus which include two or more coupled fiber optic Michelson interferometers using fiber optic stretches which stretch two or more optical fibers wound around the perimeter of the optical fiber stretchers by the same amount is disclosed. Preferably a pair of reference and sample fiber optic stretches are utilized which run in a push-pull mode of operation. When one of the interferometers is a coherent light interferometer it can be used as a reference distance scale for all of the remaining low coherence light interferometer. A method for measuring a physical property of a device under test is also disclosed using the apparatus of the present invention. | 05-05-2016 |
20160153765 | PROBE FOR OPTICAL IMAGING | 06-02-2016 |
20160153904 | OPTICAL TOMOGRAPHIC OBSERVATION DEVICE | 06-02-2016 |
20160161244 | WAVELENGTH ENCODED MULTI-BEAM OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY - Optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatuses and methods include a first electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) source providing EMR to a first optical path associated with a sample and a second optical path associated with a reference. A multi-beam generator unit (MBGU) generates first and second EMR beams having different wavelength contents. A scanning system illuminates the sample with the first and second EMR beams, at a first and second time, at a first and second location. An interference module generates interference signals based on received EMR returning from the reference and the first and second EMR beams returning from the sample. A detector generates detection signals based on received interference signals and a processor generates OCT data based on the processed detection signals. In some embodiments, three EMR beams having different wavelength contents with linearly independent vectors illuminate at least one same location of the sample. | 06-09-2016 |
20160164254 | SURFACE EMITTING LASER AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY APPARATUS - A surface emitting laser is provided which requires a smaller number of components, and which can reduce the cost. | 06-09-2016 |
20160170136 | MICROSTRUCTURED OPTICAL FIBER, SUPERCONTINUUM LIGHT SOURCE COMPRISING MICROSTRUCTURED OPTICAL FIBER AND USE OF SUCH LIGHT SOURCE | 06-16-2016 |
20160172815 | FREQUENCY SHIFTING OPTICAL SWEPT LIGHTSOURCE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS TO WHICH THE SYSTEM IS APPLIED | 06-16-2016 |
20160178346 | Method and System for Low Coherence Interferometry | 06-23-2016 |
20160252340 | SELECTIVE AMPLIFICATION OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SIGNALS | 09-01-2016 |
20170234675 | SYNCHRONIZED DUAL MODE OCT SYSTEM | 08-17-2017 |
20180024077 | METHOD FOR INSPECTING AN OPHTHALMIC LENS USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY | 01-25-2018 |