Common-path waveguide for stable optical coherence tomography imaging

Abstract

To provide common path waveguides for stable optical coherence tomography imaging.SOLUTION: An OCT imaging system may include an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam, and a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam, which is transferred to a sample arm waveguide, and a reference beam, which is transferred to a reference arm waveguide. The sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide may be coupled together within a cladding, where the cladding improves calibration of a generated OCT image by fixing axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and reference arm waveguide relative to one another. By routing long reference arm waveguide fibers and sample arm waveguide fibers together in the OCT system using a sheath / cladding, an OCT image offset due to asymmetrical fiber stretching can be minimized or eliminated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging systems, and more particularly to reducing the difference in fiber elongation between two fiber cores in an OCT imaging system. [Background technology]

[0002] The fields of microsurgical and ophthalmic surgical procedures are rapidly evolving. Many of these procedures now involve the use of imaging probes. These imaging probes may involve fiber-based video imaging, OCT imaging, and OCT imaging-based computerized manipulation. To image with high quality and depth resolution, the imaging systems and their imaging depths should be calibrated with high precision. A precisely calibrated imaging system can provide accurate images of the tissue being treated or diagnosed with good depth calibration and good resolution.

[0003] In some conventional OCT systems, optical fibers may be used in the reference arm and the sample arm. During OCT operation, the reference arm waveguide fiber and / or the sample arm waveguide fiber may stretch, causing the resulting reconstructed OCT image to be offset relative to its initial calibration position. As a result, it is often necessary to recalibrate the positions of the reference arm and the sample arm. The present disclosure is provided with respect to at least this deficiency of conventional OCT systems. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system having an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam and a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam transmitted to a sample arm waveguide and a reference beam transmitted to a reference arm waveguide. The sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide may be coupled together within a cladding, which fixes axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to each other, thereby improving calibration of generated OCT images.

[0005] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include an optical coherence tomography (OCT) fiber assembly having a sample arm waveguide that receives a sample beam, a reference arm waveguide that receives a reference beam, and a cladding that couples the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide together, wherein the cladding improves calibration of generated OCT images by minimizing axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to each other.

[0006] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure include an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system having an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam and a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam transmitted to a sample arm waveguide and a reference beam transmitted to a reference arm waveguide. The OCT imaging system may further include a cladding that couples the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide together, the cladding being conformally disposed over the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide to minimize axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to one another, thereby improving calibration of generated OCT images.

[0007] Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown is typically represented by a single numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure, and not every component in every embodiment shown is labeled, unless such labeling is necessary to enable those skilled in the art to understand the disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary OCT system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary laser surgery system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram of an exemplary probe of an OCT system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a cannula assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary OCT fiber assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary OCT fiber assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary OCT fiber assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The accompanying drawings can be better understood with reference to the following detailed description.

[0010] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the implementations illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe those implementations. Nevertheless, it will be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is intended unless specifically indicated. Any changes and further modifications of the described devices, apparatus, and methods, and any further applications of the principles of the present disclosure, are fully contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. In particular, it is fully contemplated that features, components, and / or steps described with respect to one implementation may be combined with features, components, and / or steps described with respect to other implementations of the present disclosure. For simplicity's sake, the same reference numerals will, in some instances, be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts.

[0011] The present disclosure broadly relates to systems and devices for diagnosing and / or treating a patient's eye. More specifically, provided herein are optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging systems and OCT fiber assemblies. In one embodiment, the OCT imaging system may include an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam and a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam transmitted to a sample arm waveguide and a reference beam transmitted to a reference arm waveguide. The sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide may be coupled together within a cladding, which fixes the axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to each other, thereby improving calibration of the generated OCT image. Using a sheath / cladding to route long reference arm and sample arm waveguide fibers together in an OCT system can minimize or eliminate offset in the OCT image due to asymmetric fiber stretching.

[0012]

[0003] Embodiments herein offer advantages over existing common-path OCT approaches in that both the sample and reference beams are carried in a single fiber core, and the reference signal is generated as a reflection from the fiber tip. Existing approaches are limited by the optical power of the reference arm waveguide and the fixed path length mismatch between the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm. Embodiments herein provide a solution to these and other limitations by separating the optical paths while maintaining them on a common physical path.

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates an OCT imaging system 100 consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure. OCT is an optical imaging technique capable of imaging a target at a range of depths and composing these depth images into two-dimensional or three-dimensional images with micron resolution. Possible targets include biological tissues, including the human eye. The OCT imaging system 100 can include an OCT light source or laser source 102 configured to emit an OCT light beam 103 to a beam splitter / coupler 104. In some embodiments, the light source 102 can emit coherent light having a defined spectrum designed according to the requirements of the OCT imaging technique. In some embodiments, the OCT light source 102 can include a superluminescent diode (SLD), a white light source with a sufficiently wide bandwidth, a swept laser configured to sweep a sufficiently wide bandwidth, or a comb laser with discrete wavelengths. The beam splitter 104 can split the OCT light beam 103 into a sample beam 118 transmitted to a sample arm waveguide 108 and a reference beam 116 transmitted to a reference arm waveguide 106. The sample beam 118 can be directed and projected onto a target by the probe 110 (FIG. 2), and the sample beam can return from the target as a returned sample beam. The reference beam 116 can be directed to a reference by the reference arm waveguide 106, and the reference can return the reference beam as a returned reference beam. As described in more detail below, the sample arm waveguide 108 and the reference arm waveguide 106 can be part of an OCT fiber assembly 120 that includes cladding (not shown in FIG. 1) to couple the sample arm waveguide 108 and the reference arm waveguide 106 together and minimize axial movement (e.g., stretching or shifting) of one arm relative to the other.

[0014] The beam splitter / coupler 104 can combine the returned sample beam and the returned reference beam into an interference beam 115. An imaging detector 117 can detect the interference beam 115, and an imaging processor 119 can generate an OCT image 122 from the detected interference beam 115. According to its operating principle, the OCT imaging system 100 uses a returned reference beam that has the same optical path length as the returned reference beam and is returned from a fixed working distance or depth within the target. Therefore, adjusting the length and / or position of the reference arm waveguide 106 to select the intended imaging depth or working distance can be used to calibrate the OCT imaging system 100.

[0015] In some embodiments, the imaging detector 117 may be a spectrometer having a detector array in a spectrometer-based Fourier-domain OCT imaging system 100, or a photodiode detector in a swept-source Fourier-domain OCT imaging system 100. Consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure, the imaging processor 119 may include one or more computing systems including a computer-readable medium storing instructions for image recognition and processing. The instructions may be executed by one or more processors of the computing systems to process the coherent beam 115 detected by the imaging detector 117. The imaging processor 119 may also be a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other programmable device. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the target may correspond to tissue within an eye, which may be a human eye.

[0016] 2 illustrates a laser surgery system 200 consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The laser surgery system 200 may include a surgical laser source 212 and an OCT imaging system 100. The surgical laser source 212 may direct a surgical beam 207 into an optical cable, which may be a fiber. The OCT imaging system 100 may direct a reference beam 214 into a second optical cable. The illumination source 210 may include an OCT light beam 103 that is directed into a third optical cable. In other embodiments, the surgical beam 207, the reference beam 214, and the OCT light beam 103 are directed into the same optical cable.

[0017] In some embodiments, the OCT imaging system 100 may be configured to perform so-called A-scans to construct one-dimensional images of a target depth section or depth region at individual imaging points. In other embodiments, the OCT system 100 may scan the surgical beam 207 over a series of imaging points along a line with a scanner or scanning optics 208, resulting in a series of A-scans that can be combined into a two-dimensional image called a B-scan. In either case, the probe 110 may include the scanning optics 208. An OCT imaging system 100 with scanning optics 208 may include scan control lines 213 connecting the scanning optics 208 to the OCT imaging system 100. In some embodiments, operation and adjustment of the laser surgery system 200 may be facilitated by a user interface 205.

[0018] As shown, the laser surgery system 200 may include an illumination source 210 that provides visible illumination light to assist the surgeon during surgery. The illumination source may be any one of a number of surgical illumination sources, such as a xenon lamp, a group of light emitting diodes, a laser, or any other suitable light source that emits light that falls within the visible light spectrum to illuminate a target.

[0019] Consistent with some embodiments, surgical laser source 212 may provide one or more beams of laser light having sufficient energy, power, or fluence to effect targeted tissue modification, such as effecting photocoagulation of targeted retinal tissue. Laser surgery system 200 may also include additional surgical laser sources, such as laser sources for photocoagulation, trabeculectomy, or other surgical applications, which similarly direct their laser beams through optical cable 207.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a probe 110 consistent with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the probe 110 may include a cannula assembly 300 and a handpiece or housing 302. According to certain embodiments, the cannula assembly 300 may have an outer diameter of 300-700 micrometers, while the handpiece or housing 302 may have a significantly larger diameter of 5-20 mm. The handpiece or housing 302 may be adapted for manual operation of the probe 110 or for robotic operation carried by an automated device that may be remotely controlled. The optical cable 304 may include a light guide, such as an optical fiber, that carries light from the OCT imaging system 100 and from the surgical laser source 212 (FIG. 2). In ophthalmic surgical applications, the probe 110 may be inserted into an ophthalmic target, such as an eye. Regulatory protocols often require the probe 110 to be discarded after a single use, making calibration a significant process step.

[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a cannula assembly 300 for probe 110. Cannula assembly 300 may include a fiber bundle 400 including an OCT imaging fiber 402, a surgical laser fiber 404, and an illumination fiber 406. Consistent with some embodiments, OCT imaging fiber 402 may be coupled to OCT imaging system 100, surgical laser fiber 404 may be coupled to surgical laser source 212, and illumination fiber 406 may be coupled to illumination light source 210, all via one or more optical cables. Optionally, consistent with some embodiments, surgical laser fiber 404 may be coupled to a ball lens multi-spot generator 408 that generates multiple spots on a target from a surgical beam transmitted through surgical laser fiber 404. While FIG. 4 illustrates a ball lens multi-spot generator 408, in other embodiments, fiber bundle 400 may include multiple surgical laser fibers instead of a ball lens 408 for generating multiple spots. In still other embodiments, cannula assembly 300 may not include a multi-spot generator 408.

[0022] Consistent with certain embodiments, the OCT imaging fiber 402 can be a multimode fiber, fiber bundle, waveguide, or otherwise configured to transmit the reference beam 116 to the target and transmit the returned reference beam reflected from the target for detection and processing. For example, in some embodiments, the OCT imaging fiber 402 may be a fiber assembly including fibers for the sample arm waveguide 108 and / or the reference arm waveguide 106. The cannula assembly 300 may also include a cannula tube 410 that encloses the fiber bundle 400 and other components of the cannula assembly 300. In embodiments that include the scanning optics 208, the cannula tube 410 may include two counter-rotating cannulas for implementing the scanning of the reference beam 116.

[0023] The cannula assembly 300 may include a collimating lens and / or a focusing lens 412. Consistent with some embodiments, the lens 412 may focus the beams emitted from the OCT imaging fiber 402 and the surgical laser fiber 404 to the same plane so that the reference beam 116 can closely track the surgical beam 207. In embodiments including the scanning optics 208, the cannula assembly 300 may include scanner elements 414 and 416 and a fixture plate 418. The scanner elements 414 and 416 may be gradient index (GRIN) lenses. The scanner elements 414 and 416 may scan the reference beam 214, the surgical beam 207, and the OCT light beam 103 along a line or a circle.

[0024] As previously mentioned, the imaging depth, performance, and high resolution of the OCT imaging system 100 depend on calibration, which may involve matching the optical path length of the reference arm waveguide 106 with the optical path length through the sample arm waveguide 108 and the probe 110 to a target placed a fixed working distance from the end of the probe 110. Because the probe 110 is disposable, a new probe is coupled to the sample arm waveguide 108 before every procedure. Each probe 110 may be slightly different, and therefore, after installation of each new probe 110, the depth calibration shifts and the resolution of the OCT imaging system 100 decreases. This impairs the surgeon's ability to aim the surgical beam at its intended depth and, in addition, reduces image quality, making diagnosis of the eye tissue more difficult.

[0025] Therefore, the performance of the OCT imaging system 100 may be improved by including a cladding that couples the reference and sample fibers together. Fixing the reference arm waveguide 106 with the sample arm waveguide 108 avoids a recalibration step, for example, if the fiber stretches or moves. Referring now to FIGS. 5-7 , various embodiments of OCT fiber assemblies according to the present disclosure will be described in further detail. As initially shown in FIG. 5 , a fiber assembly 520 may include a reference arm waveguide 506 that includes a first core 521 surrounded by cladding 523, and a sample arm waveguide 508 that includes a second core 525 also surrounded by cladding 523. In some embodiments, the reference arm waveguide 506 and the sample arm waveguide 508 are initially the same length. The first core 521 and cladding 523 together represent the fiber of the reference arm waveguide 506, while the second core 525 and cladding 523 together represent the fiber of the sample arm waveguide 508. The first core 521 and second core 525 and the cladding 523 may be glass or polymer. As shown, the cladding 523 may conform to the outer surfaces of the first core 521 and second core 525, respectively. The cladding 523 physically / mechanically couples the first core 521 and second core 525 together to improve calibration of the generated OCT image (e.g., OCT image 122 in FIG. 1 ) by minimizing axial movement (e.g., stretching, sliding, or shifting along axis A-A′) of the reference arm waveguide 506 and the sample arm waveguide 508 relative to one another. If the reference arm waveguide 506 and / or the sample arm waveguide 508 stretch or shift during use, both the reference arm waveguide 506 and the sample arm waveguide 508 may move together by equal amounts due to the cladding 523 .

[0026] In some embodiments, the first core 521 and the second core 525 may be cabled (e.g., twisted) with a right-handed twist or a left-handed twist. Alternatively, the first core 521 and the second core 525 may extend longitudinally along the cladding 523 such that the longitudinal axis (i.e., axis A-A′) of the cladding 523 is parallel or substantially parallel to the first core 521 and the second core 525. In some embodiments, to be considered parallel or substantially parallel, the first core 521 and the second core 525 may include a small number of twists along the length of the fiber assembly 520. In one example, the first core 521 and the second core 525 may have fewer than three twists along the length of the fiber assembly 520 to be considered parallel or substantially parallel. In another example, the first core 521 and the second core 525 may have one twist along the length of the cable assembly 1. In some examples, the first core 521 and the second core 525 may have a twist per foot of 0.1 to 0.25.

[0027] In some embodiments, cabling the first core 521 and the second core 525 is beneficial in phase-sensitive applications, for example, where the fiber assembly 520 is bent. In some cases, parallel waveguides may experience different stretching / compression when the fiber assembly 520 is bent. Twisting the first core 521 and the second core 525 applies equivalent physical stretching / compression to the two waveguides, further keeping the path length difference small, which is beneficial for phase applications. In some embodiments, a significant number of twists, for example, more than 10, may be provided along the bend.

[0028] As further shown, the OCT fiber assembly 520 may further include a coating or buffer 529 formed over the cladding 523. In some embodiments, the buffer 529 may be a polymer and may be conformally disposed over the cladding 523. The buffer 529 beneficially prevents the first core 521 and the second core 525 from breaking when bent. The radial thickness of the buffer 529 may be selected as desired depending on the application and potential bend radius of the OCT fiber assembly 520. The buffer 529 provides additional coupling between the first core 521 and the second core 525 to minimize axial movement of the reference arm waveguide 506 and the sample arm waveguide 508 relative to one another (e.g., along axis A-A′).

[0029] The OCT fiber assembly 520 may further include a hollow jacket 531 disposed over the buffer 529. The hollow jacket 531 may be disposed along the length of the OCT fiber assembly 520 and may be made from a stretchable material (e.g., a polymer) or a relatively less stretchable material (e.g., stainless steel).

[0030] 6, the fiber assembly 620 may include a reference arm waveguide 606 including a first core 621 surrounded by a cladding 623, and a sample arm waveguide 608 including a second core 625 also surrounded by the cladding 623. In some embodiments, the first core 621 and the cladding 623 together represent the fiber of the reference arm waveguide 606, while the second core 625 and the cladding 623 together represent the fiber of the sample arm waveguide 608. As shown, the cladding 623 may match the outer surfaces of each of the first core 621 and the second core 625. The cladding 623 is advantageously provided to fix the reference arm waveguide 606 and the sample arm waveguide 608 to one another, thereby improving calibration of the generated OCT image (e.g., OCT image 122 of FIG. 1 ). For example, when the reference arm waveguide 606 and / or the sample arm waveguide 608 are stretched during use, both the reference arm waveguide 606 and the sample arm waveguide 608 are configured by the cladding 623 to be stretched by equal or substantially equal amounts.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first core 621 and the second core 625 may be cabled (e.g., twisted) with a right-handed or left-handed twist. Alternatively, the first core 621 and the second core 625 may extend longitudinally along the cladding 623 such that the longitudinal axis of the cladding 623 (i.e., axis A-A′) is parallel or substantially parallel to the first core 621 and the second core 625.

[0032] As further shown, the OCT fiber assembly 620 may further include a coating or buffer 629 formed on the cladding 623. The buffer 629 provides additional coupling between the first core 621 and the second core 625 to minimize axial movement of the reference arm waveguide 606 and the sample arm waveguide 608 relative to one another (e.g., along axis A-A').

[0033] The OCT fiber assembly 620 may further include a hollow jacket 631 disposed over the buffer 629. The hollow jacket 631 may be disposed along the length of the OCT fiber assembly 620 and may be made from a stretchable material (e.g., a polymer) or a relatively less stretchable material (e.g., stainless steel).

[0034] In this embodiment, the OCT fiber assembly 620 may further include a non-stretchable wire 632 extending within the hollow jacket 631. In some embodiments, the non-stretchable wire 632 extends along the cladding 623 parallel or substantially parallel to the first core 621 and the second core 625. The non-stretchable wire 632 may be positioned between the outer surface of the buffer 629 and the inner surface of the halo jacket 631, providing for minimizing or eliminating stretching of the first core 621 and / or the second core 625 as the non-stretchable wire 632 is constrained at both ends of the OCT fiber assembly 620. Although not shown, the non-stretchable wire 632 may be clamped or secured at each end by fasteners or a housing, which may be metal or polymer. In some embodiments, the non-stretchable wire 632 may be a polymer that minimizes thermal stretching or a metal wire that minimizes substantial mechanical stretching.

[0035] 7, a fiber assembly 720 may include a reference arm waveguide 706 including a first core 721 surrounded by a cladding first section 723A, and a sample arm waveguide 708 including a second core 725 surrounded by a cladding second section 723B. In some embodiments, the first core 721 and the cladding first section 723A together represent the fiber of the reference arm waveguide 706, while the second core 725 and the cladding second section 723B together represent the fiber of the sample arm waveguide 708. As shown, the cladding first section 723A may be concentrically aligned with the outer surface of the first core 721, while the cladding second section 723B may be concentrically aligned with the outer surface of the second core 725.

[0036] As shown, the cladding first section 723A and the cladding second section 723B are positioned separately from one another but are coupled together by a coating or buffer 729 formed over the cladding first section 723A and the cladding second section 723B. In this manner, the coating or buffer 729 serves as a cladding that couples the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708. The buffer 729 improves calibration of the generated OCT image (e.g., OCT image 122 of FIG. 1 ) by reducing or eliminating axial movement (e.g., along axis A-A′) of the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708 relative to one another. For example, if the reference arm waveguide 706 and / or the sample arm waveguide 708 are extended during use, both the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708 will move together, and therefore the relative lengths of the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708 will remain the same.

[0037] In some embodiments, the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708 may be cabled (e.g., twisted) with a right-hand or left-hand twist. Alternatively, the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708 may extend longitudinally along the buffer 729 such that the longitudinal axis of the buffer 729 (i.e., axis A-A′) is parallel or substantially parallel to the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708.

[0038] The OCT fiber assembly 720 may further include a hollow jacket 731 disposed over the buffer 729. The hollow jacket 731 may be disposed along the length of the OCT fiber assembly 720 and may be made from a stretchable material (e.g., a polymer) or a relatively less stretchable material (e.g., stainless steel).

[0039] In this embodiment, the OCT fiber assembly 720 may further include a non-stretchable wire 732 extending into the buffer 729. In other embodiments, the non-stretchable wire 732 is not surrounded by the buffer 729. As shown, the non-stretchable wire 732 is circumferentially surrounded by the buffer 729 at least partially along the length of the non-stretchable wire 732. In some embodiments, the non-stretchable wire 732 extends parallel or substantially parallel to the reference arm waveguide 706 and the sample arm waveguide 708.

[0040] In summary, the OCT imaging systems and OCT fiber assemblies described herein advantageously prevent asymmetric stretching or shifting of the reference and sample fibers by mechanically / physically coupling them together using cladding. As a result, if either fiber stretches or moves, both fibers stretch or move together, and the OCT calibration remains valid. In other words, the resulting reconstructed OCT image does not experience shifts due to differences in fiber path length.

[0041] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," or "includes" and / or "including," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, regions, step elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0042] Furthermore, as used herein, elements or operations referred to in the singular followed by the words "a" or "an" are to be understood as not excluding a plurality of elements or operations unless the exclusion is expressly stated. Furthermore, references to "one aspect" or "one embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional aspects that also incorporate the recited features.

[0043] Still further, spatially relative terms such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "central," "above," "upper," "over," and the like may be used herein to simply describe the relationship of one element to another, as shown in the figures. It will be understood that spatially relative terms may encompass different orientations of the device during use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

[0044] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that any configuration contemplated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. The present disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of the various embodiments. It should be understood that the above description is made in an illustrative manner and not limiting. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the above specification. Accordingly, the scope of the various embodiments includes any other applications in which the above compositions, structures, and methods are used.

[0045] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims. Aspect (1) includes an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam; a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam transmitted to a sample arm waveguide and a reference beam transmitted to a reference arm waveguide; 1. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system comprising: The sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide are coupled together within a cladding, the cladding reducing axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to one another, thereby improving calibration of generated OCT images in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system. In aspect (2), the system further comprises a probe operable to direct the sample beam to a target and to receive the returned sample beam from the target. In aspect (3), the method further comprises an imaging processor operable to generate the OCT image from the interference beam detected by the imaging detector. In aspect (4), the beam splitter is operable to generate the interference beam from the returned sample beam and the returned reference beam. In aspect (5), the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by the cladding, and the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core surrounded by the cladding. In aspect (6), the optical fiber further comprises a buffer disposed over the cladding. In aspect (7), the device further comprises a hollow jacket disposed to cover the buffer. In aspect (8), the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by a cladding first section, the first cladding section being concentrically arranged around the first core, and the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core surrounded by a cladding second section, the second cladding section being concentrically arranged around the second core. In aspect (9), the buffer is disposed over the first cladding section and the second cladding section. In aspect (10), the waveguide further comprises a non-stretchable wire extending substantially parallel to the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm waveguide. Aspect (11) is a sample arm waveguide that receives a sample beam; a reference arm waveguide for receiving a reference beam; and a cladding that couples the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide together, the cladding reducing axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to one another, thereby improving calibration of generated OCT images. In aspect (12), the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by the cladding, and the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core surrounded by the cladding. In aspect (13), a buffer is disposed concentrically around the cladding. In embodiment (14), the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm waveguide are glass, and the buffer is a polymer. In aspect (15), the device further comprises a hollow jacket disposed over the cladding. In aspect (16), the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by a cladding first section, the cladding first section being concentrically arranged around the first core, and the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core surrounded by a cladding second section, the cladding second section being concentrically arranged around the second core. In embodiment (17), the cladding conforms to the outer surfaces of both the first core and the second core. In aspect (18), an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam; a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam transmitted to a sample arm waveguide and a reference beam transmitted to a reference arm waveguide; a cladding that couples the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide together, the cladding being conformally disposed over the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide, the cladding reducing axial movement of the sample arm waveguide and the reference arm waveguide relative to one another, thereby improving calibration of generated OCT images; An optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system comprising: In aspect (19), the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by the cladding, and the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core surrounded by the cladding. In aspect (20), the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by a cladding first section, the cladding first section being concentrically disposed around the first core, and the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core separated from the first core, the second core being surrounded by a cladding second section being concentrically disposed around the second core.

Claims

1. an OCT light source operable to emit an OCT light beam; a beam splitter operable to split the OCT light beam into a sample beam transmitted to a sample arm waveguide and a reference beam transmitted to a reference arm waveguide; a buffer disposed over the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm waveguide; 1. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system comprising: the reference arm waveguide comprises a first core surrounded by a cladding first section, the first cladding section being concentrically disposed over the first core; the sample arm waveguide comprises a second core surrounded by a cladding second section, the second cladding section being concentrically disposed over the second core; the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm waveguide are twisted within the buffer such that there is substantially equivalent physical tension and / or compression in the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm waveguide; the buffer is disposed over the first cladding section and the second cladding section. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system.

2. The OCT imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a probe operable to direct the sample beam to a target and receive a returned sample beam from the target.

3. The OCT imaging system of claim 2 , further comprising an imaging processor operable to generate an OCT image from the coherent beam detected by the imaging detector.

4. The OCT imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter is operable to generate an interference beam from a returned sample beam and a returned reference beam.

5. The OCT imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a hollow jacket disposed over the buffer.

6. The OCT imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a non-stretchable wire extending substantially parallel along the reference arm waveguide and the sample arm waveguide.

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