Extended OCT depth range and phase stability using ultrasonically-sculpted optical waveguides

Le résumé fourni par la source

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can provide label-free cross-sectional imaging of tissue microstructure over 2-3 mm of depth with micron-scale resolution. While phase-based functional extensions including angiography and polarization-sensitive OCT greatly expand the utility of OCT, the fixed lenses typically used to focus light into a sample couples the lateral resolution with the depth of focus. Ultrasonically-sculpted virtual optical waveguides provides an alternative for the terminal focusing element in an OCT sample arm. Ultrasonic pressure applied to a medium modulates its refractive index and can be used to create a refractive index gradient similar to that in a GRIN lens. We have recently demonstrated that a cylindrical ultrasound transducer can be used in the sample arm of a spectral-domain OCT system.1 We present demonstration that an ultrasound-based virtual lens can provide sufficient phase-stability for flow imaging, and that near-beam waist lateral resolution can be maintained over an extended depth range.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.