Thorlabs Swept Source OCT Systems
Figure 1. Schematic of OCM1300SS Swept Source OCT Microscope: swept laser source (SS), fiber coupler (FC), polarization controller (PC), circulator (CIR), collimator (C), variable attenuator (VA), mirror (M), balanced detector (BD), data acquisition board (DAQ), XY scanner driver (SD), CCD camera (CCD), objective (OBJ), microscope (MS), analog output (AO), aiming laser (AL). The Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), which is built in the swept light source, provides the frequency clock signal for the laser.
The Thorlabs Swept Source OCT is a frequency domain OCT technique that measures the magnitude and time delay of reflected light in order to construct depth profiles (A-scans) in the sample being imaged. Adjacent A-scans are then taken and all the images combined to create a 3D image. The design integrates a broadband, high-speed swept laser and a fiber-based Michelson interferometer with a balanced detection scheme. The multifunctional system includes an integrated CCD camera which provides simultaneous en-face and cross-sectional OCT imaging of the sample. The system includes a handheld probe that can be mounted onto an adjustable XYZ stage for a more stable imaging platform.