Optical cohrence tomography (OCT)

Application and development of ultrafast MHz OCT systems

OCT is a noninvasive Imaging modality which is typically used for high resolution (~10µm), three dimensional imaging of scattering tissue. By using home built FDML laser technology we achieve imaging speeds of several million depth scans per second, which is one to two orders of magnitude higher than current commercially available systems (MHz-OCT).

These high imaging speeds already proved to be very useful in clinical applications, by reducing acquisition times and therefore reducing motion artifacts. But the high speed also gives access to the phase of the detected light and will thus allow the use of new numerical approaches for image quality enhancement and functional imaging with Swept-Source-OCT.

Our working group is conducting research in the field of OCT to develop new technologies and to identify possible fields of application.

The focus areas are:

  • MHz-OCT - Ultra-fast OCT imaging with several million depth scans per second
  • LARA-OCT - Large area robotically assisted OCT
  • VR-OCT - Real-time computation and rendering of entire OCT volumes in a virtual environment
  • Eye OCT - application of MHz-OCT to the eye for visualization of the retina or the anterior segment of the eye
  • Phase sensitive OCT - enhancement of the information content of an OCT image by adding phase contrast
  • Multispectral OCT - combination of RGB and OCT images for improved visualization of morphological structures

related Publications

2005

Robert Huber, Kenji Taira, Maciej Wojtkowski, and James G. Fujimoto,
Fourier domain mode locked lasers for OCT imaging at up to 290 kHz sweep rates, in Optical Coherence Tomography and Coherence Techniques II , Wolfgang Drexler, Eds. SPIE, Oct.2005. pp. 58611B.
DOI:10.1117/12.641732
Bibtex: BibTeX
@inproceedings{10.1117/12.641732,
author = {R. Huber and K. Taira and M. Wojtkowski and J. G. Fujimoto},
title = {{Fourier domain mode locked lasers for OCT imaging at up to 290 kHz sweep rates}},
volume = {5861},
booktitle = {Optical Coherence Tomography and Coherence Techniques II},
editor = {Wolfgang Drexler},
organization = {International Society for Optics and Photonics},
publisher = {SPIE},
pages = {58611B},
abstract = {A high speed, tunable laser using Fourier Domain Mode Locking is demonstrated for OCT imaging.  Record sweep speeds up to 290 kHz, 3 cm coherence length and 145 nm range at 1300 nm are achieved.},
keywords = {Fourier domain mode locking, swept source, swept laser, tunable laser, wavelength agile laser, optical coherence tomography, spectral OCT, Fourier domain},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1117/12.641732},
URL = {https://doi.org/10.1117/12.641732}
}
Robert Huber, Kenji Taira, and James G. Fujimoto,
Fourier Domain Mode Locking: Overcoming limitations of frequency swept light sources and pulsed lasers, in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe/ European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe - EQEC 2005) , 052005. pp. CP3-5-THU.
Bibtex: BibTeX
@InProceedings{HU_2005_Huber_a,
  Title                    = {{Fourier Domain Mode Locking: Overcoming limitations of frequency swept light sources and pulsed lasers}},
  Author                   = {Huber, Robert A and Taira, Kenji and Fujimoto, James G},
  Booktitle                = {Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe/ European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/Europe - EQEC 2005)},
keywords = {AG-Huber_FDML, AG-Huber_OCT},
  Year                     = { 2005}
}
Robert Huber, Kenji Taira, Tony H. Ko, Maciej Wojtkowski, Vivek J. Srinivasan, James G. Fujimoto, and Kevin Hsu,
High-Speed, Amplified, Frequency Swept Laser at 20 kHz Sweep Rates for OCT Imaging - Technical Digest (CD), in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science and Photonic Applications Systems Technologies , Optica Publishing Group, 052005. pp. JThE33.
DOI:10.1109/QELS.2005.1549239
Bibtex: BibTeX
@inproceedings{Huber:05,
author = {R. Huber and K. Taira and T. H. Ko and M. Wojtkowski and V. Srinivasan and J. G. Fujimoto and K. Hsu},
booktitle = {Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science and Photonic Applications Systems Technologies},
journal = {Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/Quantum Electronics and Laser Science and Photonic Applications Systems Technologies},
keywords = {Imaging systems; Optical coherence tomography; Lasers and laser optics; Lasers, tunable; Laser amplifiers; Laser sources; Light sources; Optical coherence tomography; Point spread function; Ring lasers},
pages = {JThE33},
publisher = {Optica Publishing Group},
title = {High-speed, amplified, frequency swept laser at 20 kHz sweep rates for OCT imaging},
year = {2005},
url = {https://opg.optica.org/abstract.cfm?URI=QELS-2005-JThE33},
abstract = {We demonstrate a high-speed, frequency swept, 1300 nm laser for Fourier domain OCT. The laser generates ~45 mW instantaneous power with 20 kHz sweep rates and achieves 108 dB sensitivity and 12.7 um resolution.},
}
Robert Huber, Maciej Wojtkowski, Kenji Taira, James G. Fujimoto, and Kevin Hsu,
Amplified, frequency swept lasers for frequency domain reflectometry and OCT imaging: design and scaling principles, Opt. Express , vol. 13, no. 9, pp. 3513-3528, 05 2005. Optica Publishing Group.
DOI:10.1364/OPEX.13.003513
Bibtex: BibTeX
@article{Huber:05,
author = {R. Huber and M. Wojtkowski and K. Taira and J. G. Fujimoto and K. Hsu},
journal = {Opt. Express},
keywords = {Optical coherence tomography; Lasers, tunable; Fiber lasers; Fiber optic amplifiers; Fiber optic components; Laser sources; Light sources; Tunable diode lasers},
number = {9},
pages = {3513--3528},
publisher = {Optica Publishing Group},
title = {Amplified, frequency swept lasers for frequency domain reflectometry and OCT imaging: design and scaling principles},
volume = {13},
month = {May},
year = {2005},
url = {https://opg.optica.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-13-9-3513},
doi = {10.1364/OPEX.13.003513},
abstract = {We demonstrate a high-speed, frequency swept, 1300 nm laser source for frequency domain reflectometry and OCT with Fourier domain/swept-source detection. The laser uses a fiber coupled, semiconductor amplifier and a tunable fiber Fabry-Perot filter. We present scaling principles which predict the maximum frequency sweep speed and trade offs in output power, noise and instantaneous linewidth performance. The use of an amplification stage for increasing output power and for spectral shaping is discussed in detail. The laser generates ~45 mW instantaneous peak power at 20 kHz sweep rates with a tuning range of ~120 nm full width. In frequency domain reflectometry and OCT applications the frequency swept laser achieves 108 dB sensitivity and ~10 {\textmu}m axial resolution in tissue. We also present a fast algorithm for real time calibration of the fringe signal to equally spaced sampling in frequency for high speed OCT image preview.},
}
Robert Huber, Kenji Taira, Maciej Wojtkowski, Tony H. Ko, James G. Fujimoto, and Kevin Hsu,
Figh-speed frequency swept light source for Fourier domain OCT at 20 kHz A-scan rate, in Coherence Domain Optical Methods and Optical Coherence Tomography in Biomedicine IX , Valery V. Tuchin and Joseph A. Izatt and James G. Fujimoto, Eds. SPIE, 042005. pp. 96-100.
DOI:10.1117/12.592552
Bibtex: BibTeX
@inproceedings{10.1117/12.592552,
author = {Robert Huber and Kenji Taira and Maciej Wojtkowski and Tony Hong-Tyng Ko and James G. Fujimoto and Kevin Hsu},
title = {{High-speed-frequency swept light source for Fourier domain OCT at 20-kHz A-scan rate}},
volume = {5690},
booktitle = {Coherence Domain Optical Methods and Optical Coherence Tomography in Biomedicine IX},
editor = {Valery V. Tuchin and Joseph A. Izatt and James G. Fujimoto},
organization = {International Society for Optics and Photonics},
publisher = {SPIE},
pages = {96 -- 100},
abstract = {We demonstrate a high-speed tunable, continuous wave laser source for Fourier domain OCT.  The laser source is based on a fiber coupled, semiconductor optical amplifier and a tunable ultrahigh finesse, fiber Fabry Perot filter for frequency tuning.  The light source provides frequency scan rates of up to 20,000 sweeps per second over a wavelength range of >70 nm FWHM at 1330 nm, yielding an axial resolution of ~14 μm in air.  The linewidth is narrow and corresponds to a coherence length of several mm, enabling OCT imaging over a large axial range.},
keywords = {swept source, Fourier Domain, OCT, tunable laser, Spectral Domain, frequency domain imaging, OFDI, sweep},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1117/12.592552},
URL = {https://doi.org/10.1117/12.592552}
}