Various embodiments are presented for a method of wide-field self-referenced interference for OCT imaging, that allows for a focus on the
cornea over a large
diameter while reducing the number of artifacts in the
signal. To accomplish this, the method includes operating a super luminescent
diode to emit a light, using that light to illuminate an interferometer, collimating the light, and
coupling the
collimated light to an optical
scanner and lens to produce a probing beam. The method also includes directing the beam through the lens onto the anterior
corneal surface of the
cornea and creating an incident angle between the probing beam and the anterior
corneal surface. Finally, the method includes using the lens to ensure the beam is perpendicular to the
corneal surface with the incident angle at less than two degrees, focusing from the center to the periphery of the corneal surface, aligning the beam with the reflective corneal surface to generate a self-referencing
signal, and using the self-referencing
signal to generate self-referenced interference. The self-referenced interference is detected with a
spectrometer to generate a high-resolution image of the
cornea over a large
diameter while reducing the number of reflection artifacts experienced in typical OCT
system. Additionally, a
hybrid dual-path and self-referenced imaging method is disclosed in which an optical
shutter in the reference arm enables sequential acquisition of conventional OCT and localized self-reference apex imaging, followed by fusion into a composite artifact-free OCT image.