Combined raman spectroscopy-optical coherence tomography (rs-oct) system and applications of the same

An apparatus for non-invasively evaluating a target of interest of a living subject, comprising:

• a. a first light source for generating a broadband light;
• a. a second light source for generating a monochromatic light;
• b. a beamsplitter optically coupled to the first light source for receiving the broadband light and splitting it into a reference light and a sample light;
• and
• c. a sample arm optically coupled to the beamsplitter and the second light source for combining the sample light and the monochromatic light, delivering the combined sample and monochromatic light to the target of interest, collecting a backscattering light and a Raman scattering light that are obtained from interaction of the sample light and the monochromatic light with the target of interest, respectively, and directing the collected backscattering light and Raman scattering light in different optical paths, comprising:
• (i). a first collimating lens (C1) optically coupled to the beamsplitter for receiving the sample light and collimating the received sample light into a first optical path;
• (ii). a second collimating lens (C2) optically coupled to the second light source for receiving the monochromatic light and collimating the received monochromatic light into a second optical path, wherein the first collimating lens (C1) and the second collimating lens (C2) are substantially identical;
• (iii). a first dichroic mirror (D1) optically coupled to the first collimating lens (C1) and the second collimating lens (C2) for receiving the collimated sample light from the first collimating lens (C1) and the collimated monochromatic light from the second collimating lens (C2) and transmitting the received sample light into a third optical path and reflecting the received monochromatic light into the third optical path, respectively, such that the transmitted sample light and the reflected monochromatic light are combined in the third optical path;
• (iv). a second dichroic mirror (D2) optically coupled to the first dichroic mirror (D1) for receiving the combined sample and monochromatic light and reflecting it into a fourth optical path;
• (v). a scanning member optically coupled to the second dichroic mirror (D2) for receiving the reflected sample and monochromatic light and telecentrically scanning the received sample and monochromatic light onto a target of interest along a fifth optical path;
• and
• (vi). an objective lens optically coupled to the scanning member, placed at the fifth optical path and configured to receive the sample and monochromatic light scanned by the scanning member and focus the scanned sample and monochromatic light onto the target of interest,
• wherein in response, the target of interest backscatters the sample light and the monochromatic light in the forms of a backscattering light and a Raman scattering light, respectively, which are collected and focused to the scanning member by the objective lens (OL), and directed by the scanning member along the fourth optical path to the second dichroic mirror (D2), from which the Raman scattering light is transmitted by the second dichroic mirror (D2) into a sixth optical path, while the backscattering light is reflected by the second dichroic mirror (D2) along the third optical to the first dichroic mirror (D1), and transmitted by the first dichroic mirror (D1) along the first optical path to the first collimating lens (C1).

A method for non-invasively evaluating a target of interest of a living subject, comprising the steps of:

• a. generating a broadband light and a monochromatic light;
• b. splitting the broadband light into a reference light and a sample light;
• c. co-aligning the sample light and the monochromatic light into an optical path;
• d. scanning the co-aligned sample and monochromatic light onto a target of interest along the optical path;
• e. collecting a backscattering light and a Raman scattering light that are obtained from interaction of the sample light and the monochromatic light with the target of interest, respectively;
• f. interfering the collected backscattering light with the reference light to provide an interference signal;
• and
• g. processing the interference signal and the Raman scattering light to provide morphological details and biochemical contents of the target of interest, respectively,
• wherein the broadband light is characterized with a center wavelength, λ1, and a spectral bandwidth, Δ, and wherein λ1 is in the range of 1100-1500 nm and A is in the range of 20-100 nm.

A probe usable in a combined Raman spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography (RS-OCT) system, having a casing having a first end and an opposite, second end, comprising:

• a. a first, a second and a third optical ports, wherein the first and second optical ports are located at the first end of the casing and the third optical port is located at the second end of the casing such that the first and third optical ports define a first optical path therebetween and the second and third optical ports define a second optical path therebetween, respectively, wherein each of the first and second optical paths has a first portion and a second portion and wherein the second portions of the first and second optical paths are substantially overlapped and proximal to the third optical port;
• b. a collimation lens (C1), a coupling lens (C2), and an objective lens (OL);
• c. a first, a second and a third mirrors (M1, D, M2);
• and
• d. a scanning member (G) for scanning a beam of light onto a target of interest of a living subject, wherein the beam of light comprises a broadband light and a monochromatic light,
• wherein the collimation lens (C1), the first mirror (M1) are placed at the first portion of the first optical path, the coupling lens (C2) is placed at the first portion of the second optical path and proximal to the second optical port, and the second and third mirrors (D, M2), the galvanometer (G) and the objective lens are placed at the overlapped second portion of the first and second optical paths, such that in operation, the beam of light is received from the first port and collimated by the collimation lens (C1) onto the first mirror (M1), and redirected to the scanning member (G) by the first, second and third mirrors (M1, D, M2), which telecentrically scans the beam of light through the objective lens (OL) and the third optical port onto the target of interest, which, in response to illumination by the broadband light and the monochromatic light, backscatters the sample light and the monochromatic light in the forms of a backscattering light and a Raman scattering light, respectively, which are collected through the third optical port by the objective lens, and directed by the scanning member (G) and the third mirror (M2) to the second mirror (D), from which the backscattering light is reflected by the second mirror (D) and the first mirror (M1) onto the collimation lens and transmitted by the collimation lens to the first optical port, while the Raman scattering light is transmitted through the second mirror (D) and the coupling lens (C2) to the second optical port.