OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY COMMON-PATH PROBE

Organization Name

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Inventor(s)

OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY COMMON-PATH PROBE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18086427 titled 'OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY COMMON-PATH PROBE

The abstract describes an OCT common-path probe for identifying a sample, consisting of an optical fiber, a first GRIN lens, and a second GRIN lens. The probe splits the light beam into a reference beam and a sample beam, focusing them on the end facet and the sample, respectively.

Optical fiber outputs light beam
First and second GRIN lenses split light beam into reference and sample beams
Reference beam is focused on end facet by first GRIN lens
Sample beam is focused on sample by second GRIN lens
Sample beam is reflected by sample and travels through lenses sequentially

Potential Applications: - Medical imaging - Material analysis - Quality control in manufacturing

Problems Solved: - Precise identification and imaging of samples - Common-path design reduces interference and improves accuracy

Benefits: - High resolution imaging - Accurate sample identification - Compact and efficient design

Commercial Applications: Title: "Advanced OCT Common-Path Probe for High-Resolution Imaging" This technology can be used in medical devices, research equipment, and industrial quality control systems.

Prior Art: Researchers can explore prior patents related to OCT probes, common-path designs, and GRIN lens technology to understand the evolution of this innovation.

Frequently Updated Research: Stay updated on advancements in OCT imaging technology, GRIN lens manufacturing, and applications in various industries.

Questions about OCT Common-Path Probes: 1. How does the common-path design improve the accuracy of sample identification? 2. What are the key differences between this OCT probe and traditional imaging systems?

1. What are the potential limitations of using OCT common-path probes in real-world applications? 2. How does the joint surface between the GRIN lenses affect the performance of the probe?

Original Abstract Submitted

An OCT common-path probe for identifying a sample includes an optical fiber, a first GRIN lens and a second GRIN lens. The optical fiber outputs a light beam from its end facet. The first GRIN lens is cemented to the second GRIN lens, and located between the optical fiber and the second GRIN lens. A joint surface between the first GRIN lens and the second GRIN lens reflects a part of the light beam to form a reference beam, and allows another part of the light beam to pass through to form a sample beam. The reference beam is focused on the end facet by the first GRIN lens. The sample beam is focused on the sample by the second GRIN lens, reflected by the sample to travel through the second GRIN lens, the joint surface and the first GRIN lens sequentially, and thereby focused on the end facet.