Handheld OCT System Using Reflectors to Reduce Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing OCT systems lack the axial resolution necessary to accurately measure the thickness of the stratum corneum, and their design often results in dispersion phenomena that further degrade resolution, making them unsuitable for handheld use.
Innovation Solution
A high-resolution handheld OCT imaging system utilizing a broad-spectrum supercontinuum laser with an optical path design that minimizes dispersion loss, incorporating off-axis parabolic reflectors and avoiding optical fibers in the reference and sample arms, to enhance axial resolution and enable handheld operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a broad-spectrum supercontinuum laser is used to improve axial resolution, then axial resolution is significantly improved, but dispersion phenomena occur resulting in loss of axial resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the problematic dispersion-prone components (lenses and optical fibers) from the optical path. By eliminating these elements that cause dispersion, the system maintains the high axial resolution achieved through the broad-spectrum supercontinuum laser without suffering from dispersion-induced resolution loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the conventional lens-based optical system with a mirror-based reflective optical system. This substitution eliminates chromatic dispersion caused by refraction in lenses and allows the use of optical fibers only for light delivery, not for the imaging path, thereby preserving axial resolution.
2Measurement precision
If dispersion effects are reduced to improve axial resolution, then axial resolution improves, but the system probe cannot move freely and cannot be handheld
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the system into separate functional modules: a stationary supercontinuum laser source and a handheld probe module. The probe contains only the necessary compact components (mirrors, beam splitter, detector) to perform OCT imaging, enabling it to be handheld while maintaining high resolution. The complex laser source remains stationary but connected via optical fiber.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the probe to reduce its size and weight, making it handheld-friendly. This includes using miniaturized optical components, compact mirror mounts, and a lightweight housing that can be easily maneuvered by operators for in vivo skin imaging.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves improved axial resolution, allowing for accurate measurement of stratum corneum thickness, and its compact modular design enables convenient handheld use without compromising resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a light source, optical fibers, a light source modulation module, a handheld module and an optical detection module; the light source is provided for emitting a broad-spectrum supercontinuum laser
Implementation Method 2
The light source modulation module comprises a first off-axis parabolic reflector, a plain glass, a beam dump, a lowpass filter, a highpass filter, a first optical-attenuating filter and a second off-axis parabolic reflector; the first off-axis parabolic reflector is provided for collimating the output light of the first optical fiber
Implementation Method 3
the handheld module is provided for the implementing optical interference in the OCT system and the scanning of the imaging target
Data Source
AI summary
A high-resolution handheld OCT imaging system related to the optical imaging field solves the issues of handheld OCT systems with low resolution and the inability to measure the skin's stratum corneum thickness accurately. Through adopting the visible wavelength band of supercontinuum laser as the light source, mainly applying reflectors instead of lenses in the OCT system, and replacing fiber propagation with optical propagation in free space in the interference optical paths, to significantly reduce dispersion loss in the axial resolution and improve the axial resolution of OCT systems. The filter, attenuator, grating, camera, and other components are separated from the handheld module through modular design to reduce the handheld terminal's size and weight and realize the system construction. The invention improves the axial resolution, obtains the thickness information of whole-body skin's stratum corneum, and provides technical approaches for skin diagnosis and related medicine development.