Fiber-based phase-sensitive optical low coherence reflectometer for birefringence imaging of nerves

Author

Akkin, T. ; Rylander, H.G., III ; Davé, D.P. ; Milner, T.E.

Author_Institution

Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX, USA

Volume

3

fYear

2002

fDate

23-26 Oct. 2002

Firstpage

2301

Abstract

A fiber based dual channel phase-sensitive optical low coherence tomography system is proposed for birefringence imaging neural tissues. The system measures relative optical path length differences between the orthogonal modes of the polarization-maintaining fiber in highly scattering media with high lateral and longitudinal spatial resolution. Because of the ability of detecting ultra-small changes in refractive index, system has uses in many bio-medical optical imaging applications such as monitoring cell and tissue dynamics, imaging of phase objects, and functional studies.

Keywords

biological techniques; birefringence; image resolution; light polarisation; light reflection; light scattering; neurophysiology; optical tomography; refractive index measurement; biomedical optical imaging applications; birefringence imaging; cell dynamics monitoring; fiber-based phase-sensitive optical low coherence reflectometer; functional studies; neural tissues; phase objects imaging; tissue dynamics; ultrasmall refractive index changes; Biomedical optical imaging; Birefringence; Coherence; High-resolution imaging; Optical fiber polarization; Optical fibers; Optical imaging; Optical refraction; Optical scattering; Optical variables control;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Engineering in Medicine and Biology, 2002. 24th Annual Conference and the Annual Fall Meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society EMBS/BMES Conference, 2002. Proceedings of the Second Joint

ISSN

1094-687X

Print_ISBN

0-7803-7612-9

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IEMBS.2002.1053292

Filename

1053292