Optical probe and optical coherence tomography apparatus including the same
First Claim
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1. An optical probe for irradiating light onto a subject, the optical probe comprising:
- an optical path control unit configured to receive light from outside the optical probe, and to change a path of the light within the optical probe by repeatedly moving a direction in which the light is irradiated onto the subject by a constant lateral distance;
an optical path length control element configured to receive the light having the changed path from the optical path control unit, and to increase an optical path length of the light having the changed path by a constant value each time the direction in which the light is irradiated onto the subject moves by the constant lateral distance by changing a diameter of the light having the changed path by blocking a portion of the light having the changed path according to a direction of the changed path; and
a lens configured to receive the light having the changed optical path length from the optical path length control element, and to irradiate the received light onto the subject,wherein the optical path control unit comprises a mirror configured to rotate by a degree of rotation about a fixed axis of rotation each time the optical path control unit changes the path of the light,wherein a cross-section of the optical path control element has a wedge shape.
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Abstract
An optical probe for irradiating light onto a subject includes an optical path control unit configured to receive light from outside the optical probe, and change a path of the light within the optical probe; an optical path length control element configured to receive the light having the changed path from the optical path control unit, and change an optical path length of the light as the optical path control unit changes the path of the light; and an optical output unit configured to receive the light having the changed optical path length from the optical path length control element, and output the light.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An optical probe for irradiating light onto a subject, the optical probe comprising:
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an optical path control unit configured to receive light from outside the optical probe, and to change a path of the light within the optical probe by repeatedly moving a direction in which the light is irradiated onto the subject by a constant lateral distance; an optical path length control element configured to receive the light having the changed path from the optical path control unit, and to increase an optical path length of the light having the changed path by a constant value each time the direction in which the light is irradiated onto the subject moves by the constant lateral distance by changing a diameter of the light having the changed path by blocking a portion of the light having the changed path according to a direction of the changed path; and a lens configured to receive the light having the changed optical path length from the optical path length control element, and to irradiate the received light onto the subject, wherein the optical path control unit comprises a mirror configured to rotate by a degree of rotation about a fixed axis of rotation each time the optical path control unit changes the path of the light, wherein a cross-section of the optical path control element has a wedge shape. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus for scanning a subject by irradiating light onto the subject, the apparatus comprising:
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a light source configured to generate light; a light coupler configured to split the generated light into a measurement light and a reference light, transmit the measurement light to an optical probe, and receive a response light from the optical probe, the response light being produced by the measurement light reflecting from the subject; a sensor configured to detect an interference signal generated by interference between the response signal and the reference signal; and an image signal processor configured to generate a tomographic image of the subject from the detected interference signal; wherein the light coupler comprises a beam splitter and a reference mirror, wherein the optical probe comprises an optical path control unit configured to receive the measurement light from the light coupler, and to change a path of the measurement light within the optical probe by repeatedly moving a direction in which the measurement light is irradiated onto the subject by a constant lateral distance, an optical path length control element configured to receive the measurement light having the changed path from the optical path control unit, and to increase an optical path length of the measurement light having the changed path by a constant value each time the direction in which the measurement light is irradiated onto the subject moves by the constant lateral distance by changing a diameter of the measurement light having the changed path by blocking a portion of the measurement light having the changed path according to a direction of the changed path, and a lens configured to receive the measurement light having the changed optical path length from the optical path length control element, and to irradiate the measurement light output from the optical output unit onto the subject, wherein the optical path control unit comprises a mirror configured to rotate by a degree of rotation about a fixed axis of rotation each time the optical path control unit chances the path of the light, wherein a cross-section of the optical path control element has a wedge shape. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An optical probe comprising:
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an optical path control unit configured to receive light, and to change a path of the light by repeatedly moving a direction in which the light is irradiated onto a subject by a constant lateral distance; and a scan lens having no moving parts and being configured to receive the light having the controlled path from the optical path control unit, and to modulate an optical path length of the light having the controlled path by increasing the optical path length of the light having the controlled path by a constant value each time the direction in which the light is irradiated onto the subject moves by the constant lateral distance by changing a diameter of the light having the controlled path by blocking a portion of the light having the controlled path according to a direction of the controlled path, wherein the optical path control unit comprises a mirror configured to rotate by a degree of rotation about a fixed axis of rotation each time the optical path control unit changes the path of the light. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification