In one embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in a laser ring is chosen to provide low polarization-dependent gain (PDG) and a booster semiconductor optical amplifier, outside of the ring, is chosen to provide high polarization-dependent gain. The use of a semiconductor optical amplifier with low polarization-dependent gain nearly eliminates variations in the polarization state of the light at the output of the laser, but does not eliminate the intra-sweep variations in the polarization state at the output of the laser, which can degrade the performance of the SS-OCT system.

The present invention relates to accurately determining a contour of a depolarizing region.

An image processing apparatus extracts a depolarizing region in a polarization-sensitive tomographic image of a subject's eye, and detects, in a tomographic intensity image of the subject's eye, a region corresponding to the extracted depolarizing region. The tomographic intensity image corresponds to the polarization-sensitive tomographic image,

Systems, methods, and modules for detecting a biomarker in a sample are described. A system for detecting presence or absence of a biomarker in a sample includes: a light source for producing electromagnetic radiation for interrogating the sample; a biosensor module including: a waveguide for guiding the electromagnetic radiation, the waveguide exposed to the sample; and a recognition element affixed to the waveguide and configured to bind to the biomarker; a detector for receiving the electromagnetic radiation from the waveguide and detecting a signal corresponding to an interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the biomarker bound to the recognition element, in accordance with at least one detection modality; and a computing device for analyzing data related to the signal in order to detect presence or absence of the biomarker in the sample.

A method of assessing tissue health comprises the steps of obtaining depth-resolved spectra of a selected area of in vivo tissue, and assessing the health of the selected area based on the depth-resolved structural information of the scatterers. Obtaining depth-resolved spectra of the selected area comprises directing a sample beam towards the selected area at an angle, and receiving an angle-resolved scattered sample beam. The angle-resolved scattered sample beam is cross-correlated with the reference beam to produce an angle-resolved cross-correlated signal about the selected area, which is spectrally dispersed to yield an angle-resolved, spectrally-resolved cross-correlation profile having depth-resolved information about the selected area. The angle-resolved, spectrally-resolved cross-correlation profile is processed to obtain depth-resolved information about scatterers in the selected area.

The tomographic image capturing device of the present invention includes a tomographic image capturing means that scans measurement light on a subject's eye fundus (E) to capture tomographic images of the subject's eye fundus and an image processing means that compresses a picture of the captured tomographic images in a scan direction to generate a new tomographic picture. The tomographic image capturing means performs scan at a second scan pitch (P.sub.L) narrower than a first scan pitch (P.sub.H) to capture the tomographic images of the subject's eye fundus. The image processing means compresses the picture (B11) of the tomographic images captured at the second scan pitch (P.sub.L) in the scan direction to generate the new tomographic picture (B12). The measurement width in the scan direction of the new tomographic picture (B12) is a width of a picture corresponding to a measurement width in the scan direction of a tomographic picture (Bn (n=1 to 10)) obtained by scan at the first scan pitch (P.sub.H).

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) system using partial mirrors is generally described. In an example, the OCT system includes a swept light source. The system further includes an interferometer into which light from the light source is directed and a detector configured to produce an imaging sample signal based on light received from the interferometer. The system also includes a partial mirror disposed over an aperture, wherein the partial mirror is configured to transmit light within a first wavelength range and reflect light within a second wavelength range.

A method for measuring at least one parameter indicative of the optical transmission quality of the eye, such as information on absorptive or scattering structures that affect the propagation of light between the cornea and the retina and/or information on the imaging quality, e.g., the point-spread-function of the eye. The method includes recording a plurality of optical coherence tomography A-scans for different cornea locations xi, yi of the eye by an optical coherence tomography device and a scanner. For each A-scan, a reflection value at the retina of the eye is determined. The reflection values can then be combined, e.g., for displaying an image of the eye's transmission quality as a function of xi, yi or, by Fourier analysis, for determining the point spread function of the eye.

A method for measuring at least one parameter indicative of the optical transmission quality of the eye, such as information on absorptive or scattering structures that affect the propagation of light between the cornea and the retina and/or information on the imaging quality, e.g., the point-spread-function of the eye. The method includes recording a plurality of optical coherence tomography A-scans for different cornea locations xi, yi of the eye by an optical coherence tomography device and a scanner. For each A-scan, a reflection value at the retina of the eye is determined. The reflection values can then be combined, e.g., for displaying an image of the eye's transmission quality as a function of xi, yi or, by Fourier analysis, for determining the point spread function of the eye.

The source light having a range of optical wavelengths is split into sample light and reference light. The sample light is delivered into a sample, such that the sample light is scattered by the sample, resulting in signal light that exits the sample. The signal light and the reference light are combined into an interference light pattern having optical modes having oscillation frequency components respectively corresponding to optical pathlengths extending through the sample. Different sets of the optical modes of the interference light pattern are respectively detected, and high-bandwidth analog signals representative of the optical modes of the interference light pattern are output. The high-bandwidth analog signals are parallel processed, and mid-bandwidth digital signals are output. The mid-bandwidth digital signals are processed over an i number of iterations, and a plurality of low-bandwidth digital signals are output on the ith iteration. The sample is analyzed based on the low-bandwidth digital signals.

The source light having a range of optical wavelengths is split into sample light and reference light. The sample light is delivered into a sample, such that the sample light is scattered by the sample, resulting in signal light that exits the sample. The signal light and the reference light are combined into an interference light pattern having optical modes having oscillation frequency components respectively corresponding to optical pathlengths extending through the sample. Different sets of the optical modes of the interference light pattern are respectively detected, and high-bandwidth analog signals representative of the optical modes of the interference light pattern are output. The high-bandwidth analog signals are parallel processed, and mid-bandwidth digital signals are output. The mid-bandwidth digital signals are processed over an i number of iterations, and a plurality of low-bandwidth digital signals are output on the ith iteration. The sample is analyzed based on the low-bandwidth digital signals.