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The computer can then collect all the image data to produce a three-dimensional image. One can thus acquire image information for one voxel (three-dimensional pixel) at a time, and a computer controlling the instrument can rapidly scan both the transverse beam position and the longitudinal coordinate. The length of an optical delay line is scanned (usually with mechanical means such as a piezo transducer) in order to access different longitudinal positions in the sample.ĭuring that scan, one records the overall back-scattered optical powers and associates them with the different positions. Only light from a selected small depth range can contribute to an oscillatory signal since only that light has a substantial temporal coherence with the reference beam.īack-scattered light from outside that selected depth range cannot contribute, being outside the coherence length of the light.įor obtaining high longitudinal resolution, one needs to apply light with a very short coherence length, i.e., low temporal coherence and a large optical bandwidth. It is based on the principle of white light interferometry as explained in the article on white light interferometers.Įssentially, in a Michelson or Mach–Zehnder interferometer, back-scattered light from the sample is superimposed with light from a reference beam, which is obtained with a beam splitter in the path from the light source to the sample. We begin with the originally conceived operation principle, now called time domain OCT. The conceptually simplest approach is time domain OCT. retinal imaging for diagnosing conditions like glaucoma or macular degeneration), dermatology, oncology (cancer detection) and cardiology the capability of high-resolution (possibly sub-micrometer) real-time in-vivo imaging makes OCT a valuable tool for the diagnosis of many different medical conditions as well as for medical research. It is suitable for various applications in medical imaging such as ophthalmology (e.g. Optical coherence tomography is a widely used high-resolution optical imaging technique, which is typically applied to transparent or semi-transparent objects of limited depth – in particular, to biological tissues.
#OCT OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY HOW TO#
How to cite the article suggest additional literature Using our ad package, you can display your logo and further below your product description.ĭefinition: an optical imaging technique where longitudinal resolution is achieved based on interference effects with low-coherence lightĬategories: vision, displays and imaging, optical metrology, methods Optical coherence tomography instruments and components