Low-cost, compact, & automated diabetic retinopathy diagnostics & management device

An interferometric detection system, comprising:

• a broadband (i.e., low-coherence length) light source optionally connected to an isolator;
• a fiber optic splitter (typically 50/50) with its one arm (labeled as source arm) operably coupled to the broadband source and its second arm (labeled as sample arm) directing light onto the sample;
• another arm (labeled reference arm) of the fiber optic splitter operably coupled to a fiber optic mirror;
• a polarization compensator attached to either the reference arm or the sample arm of the interferometer;
• and another arm (labeled detector arm) of the fiber optic splitter operably coupled to an optical assembly shining light on a volume phase holographic diffraction grating and the diffracted light being imaged on a detector array;
• and a processor processing the signals from the detector array for making useful measurements.

An interferometric detection system, comprising:

• a tunable frequency light source optionally connected to an isolator;
• a fiber optic splitter (typically 50/50) with its one arm (labeled as source arm) operably coupled to the light source and its second arm (labeled as sample arm) directing light onto the sample;
• another arm (labeled reference arm) of the fiber optic splitter operably coupled to a fiber optic Faraday rotator mirror;
• and another arm (labeled detector arm) of the fiber optic splitter operably coupled to an optical assembly shining light on a detector transducer;
• and the means to adjust polarization in the sample arm to match the polarization in reference arm to achieve optimal signal strength;
• and a processor processing the signals from the detector array for making useful measurements.