Abstract
We present a novel method for rapidly acquiring optical coherence tomography (OCT) images at multiple backscattering angles. By angularly compounding these images, high levels of speckle reduction were achieved. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvements of 3.4 dB were obtained from a homogeneous tissue phantom, which was in good agreement with the predictions of a statistical model of speckle that incorporated the optical parameters of the imaging system. In addition, the fast acquisition rate of the system (10 kHz A-line repetition rate) allowed angular compounding to be performed in vivo without significant motion artifacts. Speckle-reduced OCT images of human dermis show greatly improved delineation of tissue microstructure.
Highlights
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as a powerful tool for non-invasively probing the microstructure of biological tissue at high-speed
We present a novel method for acquiring OCT images that allows for both high levels of speckle reduction by means of angular compounding and high A-line rates
The speckle-reduction capabilities of a novel angle-resolved OCT system that enabled the resolution of backscattered light within an angular range of 172 to 188 degrees were demonstrated
Summary
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has emerged as a powerful tool for non-invasively probing the microstructure of biological tissue at high-speed. Whilst digital image processing methods [2,3] have met with some success, they are fundamentally limited by their reliance on statistical relationships between neighboring pixels As such, they typically involve a compromise between the extent of speckle reduction and the loss in spatial resolution. Reduction exploits the decorrelation of speckle with respect to the angle at which light is backscattered, thereby presenting the potential for skirting spatial resolution compromises [4,5,6,7] This method involves incoherently averaging images that are acquired from different backscattering angles. It was recently demonstrated that angular compounding allows for speckle reduction levels of 8 dB, as implemented with a massively-parallel detection system [7] This system had one main drawback, : the slow (25 Hz) A-line rate of the system rendered it unsuitable for imaging in vivo. As a system suitable for imaging in vivo, it represents a significant development from the parallel-detection approach to angle-resolved OCT
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