Theory and applications of multi-beam OCT

Abstract

The lateral resolution of Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) systems is limited by the depth of focus that can be achieved over the desired imaging depth at the chosen wavelength. I present a solution in which multiple beams focused at different depths are scanned together, so that a mosaic image can be produced, with at least double the resolution possible from a single beam system. Side-benefits also arise from the ability to combine data from each beam to improve signal-to-noise. The theory of this approach is discussed, advantages, and also the practical realisation in a variety of ex-vivo and in-vivo OCT imaging probes, together with results from a number of applications.