Abstract
The polarization properties of a sample can be characterized using a Jones matrix. To measure the Jones matrix without assumptions of the sample, two different incident states of polarization are usually used. This requirement often causes certain drawbacks in polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT), e.g., a decrease in the effective A-scan rate or axial depth range, if a multiplexing scheme is used. Because both the A-scan rate and axial depth range are important for clinical applications, including the imaging of an anterior eye segment, a new PS-OCT method that does not have these drawbacks is desired. Here, we present a parallel-detection approach that maintains the same A-scan rate and axial measurement range as conventional OCT. The interferometer consists of fiber-optic components, most of which are polarization-maintaining components with fast-axis blocking free from polarization management. When a parallel detection is implemented using swept-source OCT (SS-OCT), synchronization between the A-scans and synchronization between the detection channels have critical effects on the Jones-matrix measurement. Because it is difficult to achieve perfect synchronization using only hardware, we developed a solution using a numerical correction with signals from a static mirror. Using the developed system, we demonstrate the imaging of an anterior eye segment from the cornea to the back surface of the crystalline lens.
Highlights
Anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) can be used to measure crosssectional images of an anterior eye segment [1,2]
We developed PD-Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) as a novel approach to measuring all elements of a Jones matrix in a parallel manner
The backscattered light from the sample is directed to four parallelized couplers and interfered with by four reference lights whose path lengths are managed to detect the Jones matrix
Summary
Anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) can be used to measure crosssectional images of an anterior eye segment [1,2]. Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) can provide additional contrast to AS-OCT, e.g., the birefringence of fibrous tissue and polarization scrambling, or the depolarization of melanin [6]. The Jones matrix approach of PS-OCT acquires all elements of the Jones matrix, which fully characterizes the polarization properties of the target in a coherent manner. This is useful for correcting polarization-dependent signal distortion [7,8,9] and statistically estimating the polarization properties [10]. For the Jones matrix measurement, polarization-sensitive responses need to be detected from the target using two different incident polarizations
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