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JONES MATRIX OCT SYSTEM AND PROGRAM FOR CARRYING OUT IMAGE PROCESSING ON MEASURED DATA OBTAINED BY SAID OCT

  • US 20160106319A1
  • Filed: 05/15/2014
  • Published: 04/21/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A Jones matrix OCT system having:

  • a wavelength-scanning light source;

    a coupler that splits a light from the wavelength-scanning light source into two optical paths;

    a reference arm provided along one of the two optical paths, to reflect one split light using a reference mirror and thus generate reference light;

    a probe arm provided along the other of the two optical paths, to irradiate and reflect the other split light onto the measuring target and thus generate object light;

    a polarization-separation detection unit that superimposes the reference light and object light to generate spectral interference beams and then detects the spectral interference beams using optical detectors; and

    a computer that generates tomographic images of the measuring target based on the spectral interference beams detected by the polarization-separation detection unit;

    the Jones matrix OCT system characterized in that;

    the probe arm has a polarization delay unit that linearly polarizes the other light and then splits it into S-wave component and P-wave component, where the S-wave component and P-wave component are superimposed with each other through optical paths of different optical path lengths, respectively;

    wherein the polarization-separation detection unit can obtain four spectral interference signals by using the optical detectors to detect the different spectral interference beams in a depth direction of the measuring target that correspond to the S-wave component and P-wave component, respectively, among the vertically polarized components of the spectral interference beams, as well as the different spectral interference beams in the depth direction of the measuring target that correspond to the S-wave component and P-wave component, respectively, among the horizontally polarized components; and

    the computer can generate tomographic images in the depth z direction of the measuring target, while being constituted in such a way that it will generate tomographic images of higher resolution by obtaining coherent coupling from a matrix of the four spectral interference signals and by further combining the four spectral interference signals after de-randomizing their phases to obtain matrix coherent elements.

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