Examples of the disclosure relate to an apparatus (101), a wearable electronic device and an optical arrangement for optical coherence tomography. The apparatus comprises an optical coherence tomography system (103) and an optical arrangement (105). The optical arrangement comprises at least one means for beam shaping (109) configured to shape a beam of light from the optical coherence tomography system. The optical arrangement also comprises at least one minor (111) positioned so that light from the means for beam shaping is incident on the at least one minor. The at least one mirror is configured to move in at least one direction relative to the optical coherence tomography system.

Examples of the disclosure relate to an apparatus (101), a wearable electronic device and an optical arrangement for optical coherence tomography. The apparatus comprises an optical coherence tomography system (103) and an optical arrangement (105). The optical arrangement comprises at least one means for beam shaping (109) configured to shape a beam of light from the optical coherence tomography system. The optical arrangement also comprises at least one minor (111) positioned so that light from the means for beam shaping is incident on the at least one minor. The at least one mirror is configured to move in at least one direction relative to the optical coherence tomography system.

An optical coherence tomography imaging system includes a light source, a lens for converting light emitted from the light source into a plane wave, a beam splitter for splitting the plane wave into a first part and a second part, an imaging lens for focusing the first part of the plane wave into the object and imaging object light from a focal plane into a plane of an image sensor, and a reference optical system for modulating an optical beam path and propagating the second part of the plane wave, as a reference wave, into the plane of the image sensor. Interference light of the reference wave and the object light is detected by the image sensor. The optical axis of the optical coherence tomography imaging system is slanted at an angle to a surface normal of the object.

An optical coherence tomography imaging system includes a light source, a lens for converting light emitted from the light source into a plane wave, a beam splitter for splitting the plane wave into a first part and a second part, an imaging lens for focusing the first part of the plane wave into the object and imaging object light from a focal plane into a plane of an image sensor, and a reference optical system for modulating an optical beam path and propagating the second part of the plane wave, as a reference wave, into the plane of the image sensor. Interference light of the reference wave and the object light is detected by the image sensor. The optical axis of the optical coherence tomography imaging system is slanted at an angle to a surface normal of the object.

An interferometry apparatus comprising: a laser source operable to emit a first light beam; a beam splitter arranged to split the first light beam into an object beam and a reference beam, the object beam passing along an object beam arm and the reference beam passing along a reference beam arm; an adaptive delay line located a distance along the reference beam arm, the adaptive delay line being configured to provide, in use, one or more length-adjusted reference beams; a beam splitter arranged to recombine the object beam from the object beam arm and the length-adjusted reference beam(s) from the reference beam arm; and a photodetector operable to detect interference between the object beam and the length-adjusted reference beam(s).

An interferometry apparatus comprising: a laser source operable to emit a first light beam; a beam splitter arranged to split the first light beam into an object beam and a reference beam, the object beam passing along an object beam arm and the reference beam passing along a reference beam arm; an adaptive delay line located a distance along the reference beam arm, the adaptive delay line being configured to provide, in use, one or more length-adjusted reference beams; a beam splitter arranged to recombine the object beam from the object beam arm and the length-adjusted reference beam(s) from the reference beam arm; and a photodetector operable to detect interference between the object beam and the length-adjusted reference beam(s).

The invention relates to an assembly comprising a interferometer for carrying out an optical coherence tomography, wherein the interferometer is divided into two spatially spaced-apart interferometer parts (1, 2), wherein the two interferometer parts (1, 2) can be moved related to one another and are optically connected to one another via flexible light guides (3, 4, 5), which bridge the spatial distance, wherein according to the invention, an assembly having an interferometer is provided, which is as unsusceptible as possible to the effects brought about by bending a tube cable packet and allows for an optimum signal-to-noise ratio or an optimum image quality of an OCT image, characterised in that at least one first flexible light guide (3) is designed as a polarisation-maintaining light guide consisting of two connected polarisation-maintaining light-guiding fibres (3a, 3b).

A method for operating an optical tomographic imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes: an initial setting step of setting initial positions of a reference mirror and a distal end of an optical part; an imaging step of imaging a biological tubular element after the initial setting step; a reference mirror adjustment step of, after the imaging step, moving the reference mirror to enlarge the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube while reducing an image portion of an artifact caused by reflected light from the optical part, and adjusting the image portion of the artifact to an inside of the image portion of the reflected light from the tube; a magnification adjustment step of, after the reference mirror adjustment step, resetting the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube to a state before the enlargement; and a display step of, after the magnification adjustment step, causing an image display unit to display the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube reset to the state before enlargement.

A method for operating an optical tomographic imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes: an initial setting step of setting initial positions of a reference mirror and a distal end of an optical part; an imaging step of imaging a biological tubular element after the initial setting step; a reference mirror adjustment step of, after the imaging step, moving the reference mirror to enlarge the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube while reducing an image portion of an artifact caused by reflected light from the optical part, and adjusting the image portion of the artifact to an inside of the image portion of the reflected light from the tube; a magnification adjustment step of, after the reference mirror adjustment step, resetting the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube to a state before the enlargement; and a display step of, after the magnification adjustment step, causing an image display unit to display the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube reset to the state before enlargement.

Disclosed is an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The OCT system may include: a light source unit generating light; an optical interferometer including an optical coupler splitting the light generated by the light source unit into first distribution light and second distribution light, a reference arm reflecting the first distribution light, a sample arm reflecting the second distribution light, and an optical detector detecting the light reflected by the reference arm and the sample arm; an OCT catheter including an optical fiber having a shape in which the optical fiber is insertable into at least a part of a human body and is rotatable and discharging the light to a tissue and collecting OCT data for the tissue; an OCT engine including a processor and a storage unit and processing the OCT data collected by the OCT catheter; and an OCT controller connected to a proximal end of the OCT catheter and controlling rotation of the OCT catheter.