System and method for optical coherence tomography

US8810797B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• AGFA HEALTHCARE NV · BE

Inventors

• Rainer Nebosis · Munich, DE
• Rainer Scheunemann · Munich, DE
• Edgar-Gerald Kopp · Merching, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 20, 2008
• Grant date: Aug 19, 2014
• Expiry date: Nov 24, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01B9/02091
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and to a corresponding method for optical coherence tomography having an interferometer (10) for emitting light with which a specimen (1) is irradiated, the interferometer (1) comprising a beam splitter (13) and at least one reflector (12) the optical distance (I) of which from the beam splitter (13) is changeable, and a detector (30) which has a plurality of detector elements arranged in an area by means of which the light which is reflected by the specimen (1) is collected.In order to simplify and speed up the recording of three-dimensional images of the specimen (1) provision is made such that the optical distance (I) between the reflector (12) and the beam splitter (13) is changed by an optical path (L) which is substantially greater than an average wavelength (λ0) of light (14) which is injected into the interferometer (10): L>>λ0, during the change of the optical distance (I) between the reflector (12) and the beam splitter (13) by the optical path (L) the light reflected by the specimen (1) being collected a number of times by the detector elements of the detector (30), by means of which the light reflected by a number of two-dimensional sec…