Optical imaging apparatus which radiates a low coherence light beam onto a test object, receives optical information from light scattered by the object, and constructs therefrom a cross-sectional image of the object
First Claim
1. An optical imaging apparatus comprising:
- a light source to generate a low coherence light beam;
an optical probe which incorporates a sample beam transmitter which includes a single mode fiber to transmit a sample beam containing the low coherence light beam to a test sample, and to also transmit the sample beam upon being reflected by the test sample;
a coupler which is detachably connectable to the optical probe via an optical connector and which allows the reflected sample beam and a reference beam containing the low coherence light beam to interfere with each other;
a detector which detects the interfering beams;
an image signal generator to generate image signals on the basis of signals detected by the detector;
a first transmission time altering unit which alters the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a scan range of the optical probe so that the interference between the reflected beam and the reference beam takes place within the scan range in the axial direction with respect to the optical light paths of the sample beam and the reference beam, anda second transmission time altering unit to alter the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a light path length of the sample beam transmitter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low coherence beam emitted by a low coherence light source is split into two portions. One portion is transmitted from the outward end of a first single mode fiber via a detachable connector to a beam scanning probe, and then to a biological tissue; and the other is transmitted from an optical coupler placed midway along the light path via a second single mode fiber to a light path modifier. The light path modifier includes a galvanometer mirror to modify the light path length in accordance with a scan range, and a uniaxial stage to adjust the light path length to absorb the variation in lengths of different beam scanning probes. The light path is adjusted by the uniaxial stage such that the beam interference is detected for the scan range, to ensure stable acquisition of tomographic images.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. An optical imaging apparatus comprising:
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a light source to generate a low coherence light beam; an optical probe which incorporates a sample beam transmitter which includes a single mode fiber to transmit a sample beam containing the low coherence light beam to a test sample, and to also transmit the sample beam upon being reflected by the test sample; a coupler which is detachably connectable to the optical probe via an optical connector and which allows the reflected sample beam and a reference beam containing the low coherence light beam to interfere with each other; a detector which detects the interfering beams; an image signal generator to generate image signals on the basis of signals detected by the detector; a first transmission time altering unit which alters the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a scan range of the optical probe so that the interference between the reflected beam and the reference beam takes place within the scan range in the axial direction with respect to the optical light paths of the sample beam and the reference beam, and a second transmission time altering unit to alter the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a light path length of the sample beam transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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19. An optical imaging apparatus comprising:
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a light source to generate a low coherence light beam; an optical probe which incorporates a sample beam transmitter which includes a single mode fiber to transmit a sample beam containing the low coherence light beam to a test sample and to transmit the sample beam upon being reflected by the test sample; a coupler which is detachably connectable to the optical probe via an optical connector and which allows the reflected sample beam and a reference beam containing the low coherence light beam to form an interference fringe; a detector which detects the interference fringe; an image signal generator to generate image signals on the basis of signals detected by the detector; a first transmission time altering unit which alters the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a scan range of the optical probe so that the interference between the reflected beam and the reference beam takes place within the scan range in the axial direction with respect to the optical light paths of the sample beam and the reference beam; and a second transmission time altering unit to alter the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a light path length of the sample beam transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An optical imaging apparatus comprising:
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a light source to generate a low coherence light beam; an optical probe which incorporates a sample beam transmitter which includes a single mode fiber to transmit a sample beam containing the low coherence light beam to a test sample and to transmit the sample beam upon being reflected by the test sample; a coupler which is detachably connectable to the optical probe via an optical connector and which allows the reflected sample beam and a reference beam containing the low coherence light beam to form an interference fringe; a detector which detects the interference fringe; an image signal generator to generate image signals on the basis of signals detected by the detector; a first transmission time altering unit which alters the transmission time of the reference beam in accordance with a scan range of the optical probe so that the interference between the reflected beam and the reference beam takes place within the scan range in the axial direction with respect to the optical light paths of the sample beam and the reference beam; and a second transmission time altering unit to alter the total transmission time of the low coherence light beam and the reflected beam in accordance with a light path length of the sample beam transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification