Optical coherence tomography systems and methods

US8948846B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Research Foundation of the State University of New York · US

Inventor

• Yingtian Pan · East Setauket, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 18, 2008
• Grant date: Feb 3, 2015
• Expiry date: Oct 25, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B13/22
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method that includes using an optical coherence tomography system to acquire a plurality of frames of a sample where each frame includes optical information about the composition of the sample through a section of the sample. The method further includes averaging over two or more of the frames to provide an image of the section of the sample where successive frames of the two or more frames are acquired with a time lapse of 0.05-0.7 seconds. Embodiments of the method may have unique advantages for endoscopic subcellular imaging. For example, they can enable subcellular imaging with low-NA optics (e.g., NA=0.25 or less) while providing morphological imaging of the underlying tissue up to 0.6 mm without focal tracking.