Image pickup apparatus and image pickup method using optical coherence tomography

An image pickup method for capturing an image of an object, comprising:

• scanning, using a scanner, the object with a measurement beam;
• irradiating the object with the measurement beam via the scanner and forming a combined beam by combining a reference beam and a return beam returned from the object irradiated with the measurement beam;
• detecting an intensity of the reference beam with a detector or an intensity of the combined beam with the detector;
• and
• controlling the scanner such that an optical path of the measurement beam is changed to lead the measurement beam to the object in a case where the detected intensity of the reference beam is less than a threshold or not to lead the measurement beam to the object in a case where the detected intensity of the combined beam is higher than a threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a computer-executable program, that when executed by a processor, performs the steps comprising:

• scanning, using a scanner, the object with a measurement beam;
• irradiating the object with the measurement beam via the scanner and forming a combined beam by combining a reference beam and a return beam returned from the object irradiated with the measurement beam;
• detecting an intensity of the reference beam with a detector or an intensity of the combined beam with the detector;
• and
• controlling the scanner such that an optical path of the measurement beam is changed to lead the measurement beam to the object in a case where the detected intensity of the reference beam is less than a threshold or not to lead the measurement beam to the object in a case where the detected intensity of the combined beam is higher than a threshold.

An image pickup apparatus for capturing an image of an object using optical coherence tomography, the image pickup apparatus comprising:

• a scanner configured to scan the object with a measurement beam;
• an optical system configured to irradiate the object with the measurement beam via the scanner and to form a combined beam by combining a reference beam and a return beam from the object irradiated with the measurement beam;
• a detector configured to detect an intensity of the combined beam;
• and
• a controller configured to control the scanner such that an optical path of the measurement beam is changed to not lead the measurement beam to the object in a case where the detected intensity of the combined beam is higher than a threshold.

An image pickup apparatus for capturing an image of an object comprising:

• a scanner configured to scan the object with a measurement beam;
• an optical system configured to irradiate the object with the measurement beam via the scanner and to form a combined beam by combining a reference beam and a return beam returned from the object irradiated with the measurement beam;
• a detector configured to detect an intensity of a light intensity detection beam obtained by separating the reference beam;
• and
• a controller configured to control the scanner such that an optical path of the measurement beam is changed to lead the measurement beam to the object in a case where the detected intensity of the light intensity detection beam is less than a threshold.