Apparatus and methods are presented for enhancing the acquisition speed or performance of Fourier domain optical coherence tomography. In preferred embodiments a plurality of wavelength combs containing interleaved selections of wavelengths from a multi-wavelength optical source are generated and projected onto a sample. In certain embodiments the wavelength combs are projected simultaneously onto a plurality of regions of the sample, while in other embodiments the wavelength combs are projected sequentially onto the sample. Light in the wavelength combs reflected or scattered from the sample is detected in a single frame of a sensor array, and the detected light processed to obtain a tomographic profile of the sample. In preferred embodiments the wavelength comb generator comprises a wavelength interleaver in the form of a retro-reflective prism array for imparting different displacements to different selections of wavelengths from the optical source.

A white light interference microscope includes an imaging part taking interference images, a laser light source, a light receiving part receiving reflected light of laser beam from a sample via a confocal optical system and generating a light reception signal corresponding to the light receiving intensity of the reflected light, a focal calculation part calculating a focal position matching a focus of the objective lens with a surface of the sample based on the light reception signal at each height position of the stage or the objective lens, a focus adjustment part adjusting the height position of the stage or the objective lens to match with the focal position, and a first measuring part measuring the surface shape of the sample based on a plurality of interference images taken by the imaging part at a plurality of height positions defined within a height range including the focal position.

An image acquisition apparatus includes a light source configured to emit light, a dividing unit configured to divide the light from the light source into reference light and measurement light, an image forming unit configured to form a tomographic image of a subject based on interfered light in which return light from the subject irradiated with the measurement light and the reference light are interfered, a focus adjusting unit configured to adjust a focus of the measurement light, an optical-path-length adjusting unit configured to adjust an optical path length of the reference light, and a control unit configured to adjust the optical path length of the reference light by controlling the optical-path-length adjusting unit according a change in an optical path length of the measurement light caused by adjustment of the focus using the focus adjusting unit.

A method for scanning a microarray, including (a) providing a microarray to an optical scanner, wherein the microarray includes a surface having features having different target molecules; (b) scanning the surface in the x or y direction to acquire optical signals from the features at sequential regions of the surface, wherein the focus setting between the optical scanner and the surface is dynamically controlled in real time by repeatedly (i) adding a predetermined focal offset, thereby introducing an error in the focus setting, and (ii) adjusting the focus setting to reduce the error in the focus setting, thereby acquiring the optical signals from different regions at different degrees of focus such that a subset of the regions that are scanned have an introduced focus error; and (c) analyzing the optical signals that are obtained at the different degrees of focus to identify the different target molecules.

In an ophthalmic imaging apparatus of some aspect examples, a data acquiring unit acquires data by applying an OCT scan to an eye. An image constructing unit constructs an image from the data acquired. A focal position changing unit is provided to the measurement arm. A scan controller controls the data acquiring unit according to a scan pattern including first and second partial patterns that are continuous patterns for central and peripheral regions of an OCT scan application area, respectively. A focus controller controls the focal position changing unit such that a first focal position is applied in parallel with an OCT scan of at least part of the first partial pattern and a second focal position is applied in parallel with an OCT scan to at least part of the second partial pattern.

A method for scanning a microarray, including (a) providing a microarray to an optical scanner, wherein the microarray includes a surface having features having different target molecules; (b) scanning the surface in the x or y direction to acquire optical signals from the features at sequential regions of the surface, wherein the focus setting between the optical scanner and the surface is dynamically controlled in real time by repeatedly (i) adding a predetermined focal offset, thereby introducing an error in the focus setting, and (ii) adjusting the focus setting to reduce the error in the focus setting, thereby acquiring the optical signals from different regions at different degrees of focus such that a subset of the regions that are scanned have an introduced focus error; and (c) analyzing the optical signals that are obtained at the different degrees of focus to identify the different target molecules.

Disclosed is an optical probe system that is capable of high speed, high precision, and high resolution 3D digitalization of engineered objects. The 3D dimensional data of the engineered object is measured using a swept source optical coherence tomography system with improved speed, spatial resolutions, and depth range. Also disclosed is a type of coordinate measurement machine (CMM) that is capable of performing high speed, high resolution, and non-contact measurement of engineered objects. The mechanic stylus in the touch-trigger probe of a conventional CMM is replaced with an optical stylus with reconfigurable diameter and length. The distance from the center of the optical stylus to the measurement probe is optically adjusted to match the height of the object to be measured quickly, which eliminates one dimensional movement of the probe and greatly improves the productivity.

An objective optical system (43) includes: a reflection surface (RS1) which reflects light traveling toward a sample (SP); a reflection surface (RS2) which reflects light reflected by the reflection surface (RS1) toward the sample (SP); and a transmission portion (TS) which is disposed on an optical path of light reflected by the reflection surface (RS2), which has a liquid contact surface coming into contact with liquid (WT) interposed between the liquid contact surface and the sample (SP), and of which the liquid contact surface is formed to be substantially orthogonal to the optical path of light reflected by the reflection surface (RS2).

A method for measuring a property of a test object with an interferometer includes: a) providing calibration information relating a focus setting for the interferometer to a position of the test object relative to a reference surface of the interferometer; b) determining the position of the test object relative to the reference surface; and c) using the interferometer to collect interferometric images of the test object for use in measuring the property of the test object.

Ophthalmic systems and methods for direct retinal stimuli and OCT retinal imaging with local retinal angle of incidence control are disclosed. According to an aspect, an ophthalmic system includes an optotype generator configured to provide a direct optical stimulus to a retina of an eye, wherein an angle of incidence of the direct optical stimulus upon the retina may be adjusted. The imaging system also includes an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system configured to generate OCT images of the retina of the eye used to characterize the response to the direct optical stimulus.