Fiber-coupled, high-speed, angled-dual-axis optical coherence scanning microscopes
US6441356B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B2290/70
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
This invention provides an angled-dual-axis optical coherence scanning microscope comprising a fiber-coupled, high-speed angled-dual-axis confocal scanning head and a vertical scanning unit. The angled-dual-axis confocal scanning head is configured such that an illumination beam and an observation beam intersect optimally at an angle &thgr; within an object and the scanning is achieved by pivoting the illumination and observation beams jointly using a high-speed scanning element, thereby producing an arc-line scan. The vertical scanning unit causes the angled-dual-axis confocal scanning head to move towards or away from the object. Optical coherence detection is employed to provide temporal gating, thus detecting mostly single-scattered light and preventing multiple-scattered light from dominating the signal when imaging in a scattering medium. By incorporating MEMS scanning mirrors and fiber-optic components, the angled-dual-axis optical coherence scanning microscope can be miniaturized to provide a particularly powerful tool for in vivo medical imaging applications.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.