Method and apparatus for performing optical imaging using frequency-domain interferometry

• US 8,355,138 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2011
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yun, Seok-Hyun, Bouma, Brett Eugene, Tearney, Guillermo J., De Boer, Johannes Fitzgerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US13/191,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 356/477, 356/479, 356/484, 356/485, 356/497, 250/227.19, 250/227.27, 385/12
• US Class Current: 356/497
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2290/45 Multiple detectors for detecting interferometer signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2290/70 Using polarization in the interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02002 using two or more frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02004 using frequency scans
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02043 Imaging of the Fourier or pupil or back focal plane, i.e. angle resolved imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02075 of particular errors
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02081 simultaneous quadrature detection, e.g. by spatial phase shifting
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02083 characterised by particular signal processing and presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02084 Processing in the Fourier or frequency domain when not imaged in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/0209 Low-coherence interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/021 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/453 by correlation of the amplitudes
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 9/0215 : by shearing interferometric methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4795 : spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium in vivo A61B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/12 : using multifaceted mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 : Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3604 : Rotary joints allowing relative rotational movement between opposing fibre or fibre bundle ends
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/093 : used as non-reciprocal devices, e.g. optical isolators, circulators G02F1/0955 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/11 : based on acousto-optical elements, e.g. using variable diffraction by sound or like mechanical waves acousto-optical deflection G02F1/33
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0071 : Beam steering, e.g. whereby a mirror outside the cavity is present to change the beam direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0078 : Frequency filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08009 : using a diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08063 : Graded reflectivity, e.g. variable reflectivity mirror
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/105 : by controlling the mutual position or the reflecting properties of the reflectors of the cavity , e.g. by controlling the cavity lengthH01S3/10076, H01S3/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1068 : using an acousto-optical device
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0071 : for beam steering, e.g. using a mirror outside the cavity to change the beam direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0078 : for frequency filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1025 : Extended cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/14 : External cavity lasers H01S5/18 takes precedence; mode locking H01S5/065
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 : using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/146 : using a fiber as external cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/5045 : the arrangement having a frequency filtering function

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided. In particular, at least one first electro-magnetic radiation may be provided to a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation can be provided to a non-reflective reference. A frequency of the first and/or second radiations varies over time. An interference is detected between at least one third radiation associated with the first radiation and at least one fourth radiation associated with the second radiation. Alternatively, the first electro-magnetic radiation and/or second electro-magnetic radiation have a spectrum which changes over time. The spectrum may contain multiple frequencies at a particular time. In addition, it is possible to detect the interference signal between the third radiation and the fourth radiation in a first polarization state. Further, it may be preferable to detect a further interference signal between the third and fourth radiations in a second polarization state which is different from the first polarization state. The first and/or second electro-magnetic radiations may have a spectrum whose mean frequency changes substantially continuously over time at a tuning speed that is greater than 100 Tera Hertz per millisecond.

Claims

1. A system for determining particular data associated with at least one of a structure and composition of a tissue, comprising:

a hardware processing arrangement, which when executing a predetermined technique, is configured to;

receive information associated with an interferometric signal which is formed from at least one first electro-magnetic radiation obtained from a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation obtained from a reference hardware configuration, wherein at least one of the first and second electro-magnetic radiations (i) has a wavelength that changes over time, and (ii) is frequency-shifted using a hardware arrangement which is different from the sample and the reference element,

sample the information to generate sampled data in a first format, and

transform the sampled data into the particular data that is in a second format, the first and second format being different from one another.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first and second electro-magnetic radiations has a spectrum whose frequency changes over time at a rate that is greater than 100 Tera Hertz per millisecond.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the frequency of the spectrum changes substantially continuously over time.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the frequency of the spectrum is a mean frequency.

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the frequency changes repeatedly at a repetition rate that is greater than 5 kilo Hertz.

6. A system for determining particular data associated with at least one of a structure and composition of a tissue, comprising:

a hardware processing arrangement, which when executing a predetermined technique, is configured to;

a) receive information associated with an interferometric signal which is formed from at least one first electro-magnetic radiation obtained from a sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation obtained from a reference hardware configuration, wherein at least one of the first and second electro-magnetic radiations is frequency-shifted using a hardware arrangement which is different from the sample and the reference element, wherein the frequency shift is a change of a wavelength of at least one of the first electro-magnetic radiation or the second electro-magnetic radiation over time,

b) sample the information to generate sampled data in a first format, and

c) transform the sampled data into the particular data that is in a second format, the first and second format being different from one another.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a first arrangement configured to provide first electro-magnetic radiation to a sample and second electro-magnetic radiation to a reference, wherein at least one of the first electro-magnetic radiation or the second electro-magnetic radiation has a spectrum whose frequency changes over time at a repetition rate that is at least 10 kilo Hertz; and

a second arrangement configured to detect an interference between a third radiation associated with the first radiation and a fourth radiation associated with the second radiation.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a third arrangement which is configured generate at least one image associated with the sample as a function of the interference.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a first arrangement providing first electro-magnetic radiation to a sample and second electro-magnetic radiation to a reference, wherein at least one of the first and second electro-magnetic radiations has a spectrum whose frequency changes over time at a rate that is greater than 100 Tera Hertz per millisecond; and

a second arrangement detecting an interference between third radiation associated with the first radiation and fourth radiation associated with the second radiation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the frequency changes over a range that is greater than 10 Tera Hertz.

11. The apparatus according to 9, wherein the frequency changes repeatedly at a repetition rate that is greater than 5 kilo Hertz.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the spectrum has an instantaneous line width that is smaller than 100 Giga Hertz.