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Optical coherence tomography have plural reference beams of differing modulations

  • US 6,198,540 B1
  • Filed: 09/24/1999
  • Issued: 03/06/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An optical measuring instrument comprising:

  • optical multiplexing means for multiplexing incident light;

    light emitting means for emitting the light having a short coherence length;

    optical demultiplexing means for demultiplexing the light emitted by said light emitting means into a measurement light beam and first through N-th reference light beams;

    reference light introducing means for modulating the first through N-th reference light beams demultiplexed by said optical demultiplexing means in patterns different from each other and introducing the thus modulated first through N-th reference light beams to the optical multiplexing means;

    measurement light introducing means for introducing the measurement light demultiplexed by said optical demultiplexing means to a measurement object sample and introducing the measurement light reflected and scattered within by the measurement object sample to said optical multiplexing means;

    photoelectric converting means for outputting an electric signal assuming a level corresponding to an intensity of the light multiplexed by said optical multiplexing means; and

    calculating means for calculating optical characteristic data about first through N-th measuring points existing in positions corresponding to lengths of optical paths extending from said optical demultiplexing means of the first through N-th reference light beams to said optical multiplexing means at that point of time within the measurement object sample from the electric signals outputted by said photoelectric converting means on the basis of patterns of modulation effected on the first through N-th reference light beams by the reference light introducing means.

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