Full-field swept-source optical coherence tomography with phase-shifting techniques for skin cancer detection

Abstract

The EU-funded project VIAMOS 1 proposes an optical coherence tomography system (OCT) for skin cancer detection, which combines full-field and full-range swept-source OCT in a multi channel sensor for parallel detection. One of the project objectives is the development of new fabrication technologies for micro-optics, which makes it compatible to Micro-Opto-Electromechanical System technology (MOEMS). The basic system concept is a wafer-based Mirau interferometer array with an actuated reference mirror, which enables phase shifted interferogram detection and therefore reconstruction of the complex phase information, resulting in a higher measurement range with reduced image artifacts. This paper presents an experimental one-channel onbench OCT system with bulk optics, which serves as a proof-of-concept setup for the final VIAMOS micro-system. It is based on a Linnik interferometer with a wavelength tuning light source and a camera for parallel A-Scan detection. Phase shifting interferometry techniques (PSI) are used for the suppression of the complex conjugate artifact, whose suppression reaches 36 dB. The sensitivity of the system is constant over the full-field with a mean value of 97 dB. OCT images are presented of a thin membrane microlens and a biological tissue (onion) as a preliminary demonstration.

Importance sampling-based Monte Carlo simulation of time-domain optical coherence tomography with embedded objects

“…It is widely used in retinal imaging [9,10]. OCT also has the ability to acquire skin images [11,12]. Recently, applications of OCT has been extended to study neurological diseases [13].…”

White light interference microscopy system design

“…This method is commonly known as White Light Scanning Interferometry (WLSI), or Coherence Scanning Interferometry (CSI) [12][13][14] . White light interferometry can also be used to perform characterization over the depth when the sample is transparent 15,16 , a method often used in biology, under the name of Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography (FF-OCT) or Full-Field Optical Coherence Microscopy (FF-OCM) 17,18 , for instance to provide photothermal 19 or elastographic 20 information, or to detect skin cancer 21,22 .…”