Methods and Apparatus for Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
AssigneeLightLab Imaging, Inc.
InventorJoseph M. Schmitt
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Abstract
In one embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in a laser ring is chosen to provide low polarization-dependent gain (PDG) and a booster semiconductor optical amplifier, outside of the ring, is chosen to provide high polarization-dependent gain. The use of a semiconductor optical amplifier with low polarization-dependent gain nearly eliminates variations in the polarization state of the light at the output of the laser, but does not eliminate the intra-sweep variations in the polarization state at the output of the laser, which can degrade the performance of the SS-OCT system.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
An optical imaging system comprising:
- a tunable laser comprising
- a first gain element,
- a tunable filter in optical communication with the first gain element, the tunable filter comprising a drive waveform input, and
- an output of the tunable laser in optical communication with the tunable filter;
- a first optical coupler in optical communication with the output of the tunable laser;
- and
- a first interferometer comprising
- a source input in optical communication with the first optical coupler,
- a sample arm in optical communication with the source input, wherein the sample arm is configured to transmit light to an optical probe and receive scattered light acquired by the optical probe, and
- a first interferometer output.
An optical imaging system comprising:
- a tunable laser comprising
- a first gain element,
- a tunable filter in optical communication with the first gain element, the tunable filter comprising a drive waveform input, and
- an output of the tunable laser in optical communication with the tunable filter;
- a first optical coupler in optical communication with the output of the tunable laser;
- a first interferometer comprising
- a source input in optical communication with the first optical coupler,
- a sample arm in optical communication with the source input, wherein the sample arm is configured to transmit light to an optical probe and receive scattered light acquired by the optical probe, and
- a first interferometer output;
- a first balanced photoreceiver in optical communication with the first interferometer output;
- and
- a sample clock generator comprising
- a second interferometer and a sample clock generator output, the second interferometer in optical communication with output of the tunable laser, the second interferometer comprising
- a first arm, a second arm, and an optical imbalance between the first arm and the second arm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.