Enhancement of dynamic range and complete elimination of self-interference artifacts in a spectral domain OCT: Potential for high performance at much lowered-cost

oleh: Denny Melkay M. George, Hari Nandakumar, Shailesh Srivastava

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Elsevier 2021-12-01

Deskripsi

In this paper, we introduce a novel time-averaged sampling method that can be used in a low-cost, camera-based, line-field, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) device. We demonstrate that when used with an automated subtraction and magnitude based averaging scheme that is analogous to lock-in detection, this method can enhance the usually poor dynamic range and SNR. The technique is unique as it effectively eliminates arbitrarily located, arbitrarily strong autocorrelation artifacts, and is robust against blemishes in the camera or the reference mirror. We show through experiment, theory and simulations that a judicious choice of the Fourier transform window function, and one of the two proposed variants of the averaging scheme can enhance the final image. B-scan images of a variety of samples, and facile 3D tomograms, acquired with a device built from off-the-shelf components, demonstrate the potential of making OCT devices for niche applications, at much reduced costs.