Polarization-sensitive common path optical coherence reflectometry/tomography device

A polarization sensitive common path optical coherence reflectometer comprising:

• a source of optical radiation;
• a converting device optically coupled with the source of optical radiation, the converting device configured to produce at least two cross-polarized replicas of the optical radiation incoming from the source of optical radiation and propagating therethrough with an optical path length difference;
• a delivering device configured to form and deliver an optical radiation beam to an associated sample, the delivering device including a proximal part and a distal part, the distal part of the delivering device including a reference reflector, the delivering device being further configured to produce a combined optical radiation representative of an optical radiation having returned from an associated sample, the combined optical radiation being a combination of an optical radiation having returned from an associated sample and of an optical radiation reflected from the reference reflector;
• a directional splitting device;
• a directional element optically coupled with the converting device, with the proximal part of the delivering device, and with the directional splitting device, the directional element being configured to direct optical radiation to the delivering device and being configured to direct optical radiation to the directional splitting device;
• a first optoelectronic selecting device optically coupled with the directional splitting device, the first optoelectronic selecting device including a first optical device optically coupled with a first optoelectronic registering device;
• and
• a second optoelectronic selecting device optically coupled with the directional splitting device, the second optoelectronic selecting device including a second optical device optically coupled with a second optoelectronic registering device;
• wherein the directional splitting device is configured to split the combined optical radiation, incoming from the directional element into two fractions, directing one fraction of the combined optical radiation to the first optoelectronic selecting device, and directing another fraction of the combined optical radiation to the second optoelectronic selecting device, and wherein the first optoelectronic registering device is positioned to receive the recombined optical radiation from the first optical device;
• wherein the first optical device is configured to split the part of combined optical radiation, incoming from the delivering device through the directional element and the directional splitting device, into at least two parts of the optical radiation propagating therethrough with a first preset optical path length difference, and further recombining the at least two parts of the optical radiation, and wherein the second optoelectronic registering device is positioned to receive the recombined optical radiation from the second optical device;
• wherein the second optical device is configured to split the part combined optical radiation, incoming from the delivering device through the directional element and the directional splitting device, into at least two parts of the optical radiation propagating therethrough with a second preset optical path length difference, and further recombining the at least two parts of the optical radiation;
• wherein the first optoelectronic selecting device is configured to select a cross-polarized component of the combined optical radiation representative of an optical radiation having returned from an associated sample;
• and
• wherein the second optoelectronic selecting device is configured to select a parallel-polarized component of the combined optical radiation representative of an optical radiation having returned from an associated sample.

A polarization sensitive common path optical coherence reflectometer comprising:

• a source of optical radiation;
• a delivering device configured to form and deliver an optical radiation beam to an associated sample, the delivering device including a proximal part and a distal part, the distal part of the delivering device including a reference reflector, the delivering device being further configured to produce a combined optical radiation representative of an optical radiation having returned from an associated sample, the combined optical radiation being a combination of a sample portion of the optical radiation having returned from an associated sample and of a reference portion of the optical radiation reflected from the reference reflector;
• a directional element optically coupled with the source of optical radiation and with the proximal part of the delivering device, the directional element being configured to direct optical radiation to the delivering device;
• and
• first optoelectronic selecting device optically coupled with the directional element and including a converting device optically coupled with first optoelectronic registering device;
• wherein the converting device is configured to split the sample portion and the reference portion of the combined optical radiation incoming from the delivering device through the directional element, into at least two parts of optical radiation propagating therethrough with a first preset optical path length difference, and further recombining the at least two parts of the optical radiation, and wherein the first optoelectronic registering device is positioned to receive the recombined optical radiation from the converting device;
• wherein the converting device is further configured to convert the reference portion of at least one part of the optical radiation such that the reference portions of the at least two parts of the optical radiation are cross-polarized portions of optical radiation;
• and
• wherein the first optoelectronic selecting device is configured to select a cross-polarized component of the combined optical radiation representative of an optical radiation having returned from an associated sample.