Efficient interferometer designs for optical coherence tomography

US9778020B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Meditec AG · DE

Inventors

• Alexandre R. Tumlinson · San Leandro, US
• Matthew J. Everett · Livermore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 19, 2016
• Grant date: Oct 3, 2017
• Expiry date: May 19, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01B2290/70
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Efficient interferometer designs for optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems are presented. One example interferometer design includes two polarization dependent beamsplitters and a non-polarization dependent combiner. The first polarization dependent beamsplitter transmits light in a first polarization state to a sample arm of the OCT system and transmits light in a second polarization state different from the first polarization state to a reference arm of the system. The second polarization dependent beamsplitter transmits light returning from a sample to the non-polarization dependent combiner. The combiner combines light returned from the sample and the light that has passed through the reference arm, which is then detected at a detector. Another example interferometer design includes free space optics comprising a non-reciprocal beamsplitting element in a beam path from a light source to a sample. The non-reciprocal beamsplitting element is implemented using a combination of a polarization dependent beamsplitter and a polarization manipulator.